Describe briefly the following: (c) Downstream processing
Downstream processing is the process by which the waste materials (separated from the desired product) produced are disposed properly and treated well.There are four stages involved in the purification of the desired products, which can be either any specific plant or animal tissue or fermentation broth.They are:- a) Removal of insolubles b) Isolation of product c) Purification of product and d) Polishing of the product.Removal of insolubles are done by filtration, centrifugation or sedimentation.After isolation of the product by means of adsorption or ultrafiltration, they are purified by methods such as ion-exchange chromatography, crystallization or fractional precipitation.At the end, the products are polished so that they can be packed in a way they remain stable and can be easily transported.
