How important is industrial automation in research and development? As in all sectors, also in research and development, process automation plays a very important role. Today’s markets are becoming increasingly competitive and execution time can also make a big difference. Research and development laboratories that make use of these technologies provide a faster and more precise service.
Industrial automation, a practical example
An example of effective industrial automation is found in industrial processes involving chemical reactions of cells or enzymes, such as biocatalysis. Especially in recent years, we have seen an increase in the use of industrial biocatalysts for the production of high value-added molecules.
The process of industrial biocatalysis is increasingly used because it is environmentally friendly and, above all, does not involve the use of solvents or other products that are difficult and expensive to dispose of, which are dangerous for operators and the environment.
Enzymes in purified form or contained in cellular systems for the production of molecules, find application in different fields of industry, from chemical to pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic, just to name a few. In a nutshell, these processes are definitely preferred on an industrial scale because they are a valid green alternative to chemical synthesis, since the reactions, in the first case, are much milder.
In the pharmaceutical industry
To give an example of a concrete application, let us take the applications of P450 cytochromes in the pharmaceutical industry. These include the synthesis of drug precursors and their metabolites, for example we can cite pravastatin, a drug that is prescribed to lower cholesterol levels.
Thanks to industrial automation, the fermentation process that converts the precursor compactine into pravastatin can be extended on a large scale.
In this way, two main advantages are obtained for companies: lower production costs, just think of the fact that fewer operators must be employed and there is less consumption, and a higher quality product, since human error is practically eliminated.
For these reasons we have also chosen to base our research services on a wide range of automated High Throughput screening protocols.