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“Almost everything consumable is a product of biochemical engineering,” exclaims Swapnil Bhargava, a Ph.D. student in UMBC’s chemical and biochemical engineering graduate program. Biochemical engineering is the basis for products ranging from simple yogurt to complex growth hormones, vaccines and drugs.

Much of Bhargava’s enthusiasm for biochemical engineering comes from his mentors: UMBC chemical and biochemical engineering professor Mark Marten and Kevin Wenger, from the Novozymes North America, Inc., one of the biggest manufacturers of enzymes in the world. Bhargava has a lot to say about Marten: “He’s wonderful and innovative. He’s always very supportive - not only to me, but to the whole group. Hell extend his complete support even to deal with a student’s personal problems.” In other words, Marten has not just been an advisor but a mentor to Bhargava. About his other mentor Wenger, he states, “I have never seen any person like him before in industries. He’ll go to any extent to support your research. I consider myself very fortunate to work and learn with Kevin during my visits to Novozymes.”

Bhargava”s research involves fungal fermentation, which play an important role in the biotech industries. Attributed to numerous advantages associated with fungi, they are very attractive options to be used as a host for production of various biomolecules. As a result almost half of the world’s biologicals are produced via fungal fermentations, including antibiotics, proteins and industrial enzymes, organic acids, numerous food products and therapeutic molecules that are worth billions of dollars each year. The bad news is that almost all fungal fermentations have a problem of high viscosity. Imagine many long, filamentous cells growing in different shapes and sizes, and intertwining, like a tangled mass of seaweed. As fungi grow in a fermentor vat, they become so dense that it becomes almost impossible to properly mix the broth and provide oxygen to them. Consequently, productivity suffers. “It becomes as thick as the thickest ketchup you have seen,” says Bhargava. Many researchers have tried various solutions, but none seemed to be cost effective or reliable until now.

Bhargava, with the support of Marten and Wenger has come up with a possible solution: a new process strategy to lessen the degree of viscosity. Whats more, not only does the process reduce viscosity by half; it can potentially increase the productivity by more than 50 percent without making substantial changes in the experimental setup!

“For many years people have tried, unsuccessfully, to solve the problem of high viscosity in fungal fermentations,” says Marten. “From our initial work, it looks like we may have come up with a solution that is relatively simple to apply and costs almost nothing. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

After obtaining his doctorate this spring, Bhargava plans to continue working in research and development. “We are fortunate in biochemical engineering, the market is still good,” he says. “Biochemical engineering is still booming anywhere you go!”

Above all else, Bhargavas enthusiasm for his work shines out: “I love it!” For students contemplating a Ph.D., Bhargava has some advice: “[You need] total commitment, patience and dedication. Don’t pursue anything that doesn’t interest you.”