Working Group on Downstream Processing

Chairman Professor Owen RT Thomas The University of Birmingham Director of Biochemical Engineering School of Engineering Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT United Kingdom Tel: (+44) (0) 121 414 5278 Fax: (+44) (0) 121 414 5377 / 5347 Email: O.R.Thomas@bham.ac.uk

Vice-Chairman Dr. Guilherme N.M. Ferreira University of Algarve Portugal Tel: +351-289-800-900 Email: gferrei@ualg.pt

Introduction
Downstream processing (DSP) is the recovery and purification operations that follow biochemical reaction, especially fermentation, but also animal and plant cell culture and agricultural synthesis. Any treatment of the culture broth after fermentation is known as DSP. The main purpose of DSP is to concentrate and purify a given product.
The M3C Working group is an interface between European industry and academia.

Mission
The mission of the Working Group on Downstream Processing (WGDSP) is to stimulate advancement of the field of downstream processing by providing a platform for communication, education and exchange of scientific ideas between industry and academia. WGDSP concerns itself with scientific, industrial and societal issues of biotechnology with a special emphasis on Downstream Processing.