Development of an Experimental Setup and a Validated Model for a Highly Integrated Biocatalytic Process

The development and validation of a mathematical model for a highly integrated biocatalytic process are presented. A multienzymatic cascade comprising three parallel and sequential reaction steps was implemented in a miniplant setup, integrating an enzyme membrane reactor (EMR) and a reactive extraction centrifuge (REC) to enable intensified biotransformations. Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to obtain the kinetic and thermodynamic data necessary for model development. The resulting process model captures both the enzymatic reaction kinetics and the dynamic behavior of the integrated unit operations. Model validation was performed under representative process conditions in the miniplant system. The results demonstrate good agreement between the model and experimental data, confirming the predictive power of the model and supporting its use in future process design, scale-up, and optimization. This work underscores the importance of model-based development for advancing sustainable and efficient biocatalytic processes.