Question

Which of the following is not an upstream process?

(a) Selection of a suitable enzyme

(b) Process development

(c) Concentration and primary purification of enzymes

(d) Large scale production

I got this question in examination.

I'm obligated to ask this question of Large in section An Overview of Biological Basics & Enzymes of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

Right answer is (c) Concentration and primary purification of enzymes

To explain: Downstream processes are those that contribute to separation or purification of enzymes. Depending on the intended use of the enzyme, different levels purity is required. For example, enzymes used for diagnostic purposes must be separated to a higher purity than bulk industrial enzymes to prevent catalytic activity that provides erroneous results.