Question

Accurate models applicable to a range of process conditions are not rare.

(a) True

(b) False

I had been asked this question in an interview for internship.

My question is based upon Monitoring and Control of Bioreactors topic in chapter Reactor Engineering of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

Correct choice is (b) False

To explain I would say: Development of a comprehensive model covering all key aspects of a particular bioprocess and able to predict the effects of a wide range of culture variables is a demanding exercise. Accurate models applicable to a range of process conditions are rare. As many aspects of fermentation are poorly under- stood, it difficult to devise mathematical models covering these areas. For example, the response of cells to spatial variations in dissolved-oxygen and substrate levels in fermenters, or the effect of impeller design on microbial growth and productivity, is not generally incorporated into models because the subject has been inadequately studied.