What the facility does
Regional bioeconomy innovation hub advancing industrial fermentation, cleantech, biofuels, bioproducts, and agri-food technologies for industry collaboration and process optimization.
Areas of expertise
Lambton College’s Bio-Industrial Process Research Centre (BPRC), a Technology Access Centre (TAC), collaborates with public and private sector partners to advance bio-focused technologies and processes, driving innovation in Canada’s bioeconomy. Established in 2015, BPRC provides technical consulting, applied research, and customized training for industries such as biotechnology, food and beverage, natural resources, and agriculture.
Located at Lambton College’s Centre of Excellence for Energy and Bio-Industrial Technologies, BPRC offers access to over $5 million in infrastructure, including the Biotech and Fermentation Scale up Lab, the Chemical and Bioengineering Analysis Lab, the Material Performance Characterization Lab, the BioSafety Level 2 Lab and pilot plant space. With a dedicated team of over 25 research staff and 20+ research students, BPRC supports organizations ranging from startups to multinational corporations.
BPRC specializes in industrial fermentation and distillation, biopharmaceuticals and natural health products, biofuels and bioproducts, and agricultural, food, and beverage technologies. By providing expertise, infrastructure, and funding resources, BPRC helps partners optimize processes, develop innovative products, and strengthen Canada’s sustainable and globally competitive bioeconomy.
Since 2020, BPRC has completed more than 380 research engagements and partnered with 430+ organizations.
Research services
- Fermentation and distillation
- Biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials
- Pharmaceutical and natural health products
- Instrumentation and process control
- Cultivation, extraction and chemical analysis
- Food and beverage
- Cleantech
Sectors of application
- Agriculture, animal science and food
- Clean technology
- Energy
- Environmental technologies and related services
- Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Biotech and Fermentation Scale up Lab (BFSL) | Eppendorf BioFlo 510 fermentation system (32L) | Probes for pH, dissolved oxygen, redox, peristaltic pumps, and a steam generator for in-place sterilization. |
| Sorvall RC-3C PLUS High-Capacity Centrifuge | Temperature range of 0°C to 30°C, maximum operating speed of 6000 RPM. | |
| Anton Paar SVM 3001 Stabinger Viscometer | Measure kinematic viscosity, dynamic viscosity, viscosity index, and density. Can operate with static temperature or a temperature ramp (up to 135°C). | |
| Labfirst Scientific JGR-L Series 50L-11V Reactor | Equipped with agitation control and a built-in jacket for heating or chilling. | |
| Buchi large-scale Rotovapor R-220 SE Rotary Evaporator | Evaporation flask volume: 20L. Temperature range: room temperature to 180°C. | |
| Omni International Bead Ruptor 96 Homogenizer | Mill samples in stainless steel containers, maximum capacity of 50mL. | |
| Buchi Lyovapor L-300 Pro Lyophilizer (freeze dryer, large capacity) | Remove water from samples, usually as a step for sample preparation. Lowest condenser temperature: -105°C. | |
| Chemical and Bioengineering Analysis Lab (CBAL) | Thermo Scientific Isotemp Muffle Furnace | Temperature range: 50°C to 1125°C. |
| Anton Paar Alcolyzer ME Alcohol Measurement Module with a DMA 5000M Density Meter | Quantify alcohol content in various beverage samples. | |
| Agilent 8890 Gas Chromatograph (GC) System with an Agilent 7010B Triple Quadrupole (TQ) Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) System and an Agilent PAL RSI 85 Auto Sampler | Flame Ionization Detector (FID), Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD), and Mass Spectrometry with Triple Quadrupole detection (MS-TQ detectors). | |
| Agilent 1260 Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD) | Detect compounds based on their ability to scatter light after being evaporated from the mobile phase. | |
| Agilent 1260 Infinity I High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system | Diode Array Detector (DAD), Fluorescence Detector (FLD), and Refractive Index Detector (RID), along with an auto fraction collector. | |
| Agilent 8860 Gas Chromatograph system with a 5977C Gas Chromatograph coupled with a Mass Selective Detector (GC/MSD) | Flame Photometric Detector (FPD) and Electron Capture Detector (ECD). | |
| Agilent 1260 Infinity II High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system with an Agilent Ultivo Triple Quadrupole (TQ) LC/MS System | Tandem quadrupole (MS-TQ) detectors. | |
| Agilent 6230 Time-of-Flight (TOF) LC/MS system | Identify compounds based on accurate mass, isotopic abundance, and chemical composition. | |
| Agilent 1260 Infinity II High-Temperature Gel Permeation Chromatography (HT-GPC) System | Measure the viscosity of a fluid (a viscometer), light scattering at 15° and 90°, and a refractive index (RI) detector for molecular weight analysis of plastics/polymers/biomolecules. | |
| Shimadzu GC-2014 Gas Chromatograph | Flame Ionization Detector (FID) and Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD). | |
| Challenge Technology BPA-800 Biomethane Potential Analyzer | Monitor the production of biogas in bench scale reactors for precision optimizing of gas production for evaluation of environmental and chemical adjustments. | |
| Eppendorf Himac CR 30NX High-Speed Refrigerated Centrifuge | Speed: 300 to 30,000 RPM, temperature range: -20°C to 40°C, maximum capacity: 6 x 1,000 mL / 4 x 1,500 mL. | |
| Eppendorf Centrifuge 5920 R | Spin down and pellet samples, with a temperature range of -11°C to 40°C. Bottle size options: 700mL, 250mL, 50mL, and 15mL. | |
| Anton Paar Microwave Reaction System Multiwave PRO | Perform acid digestion, primarily for Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and Microwave Digestion (MP) sample preparation. | |
| Shimadzu Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOC-L CSH) | Measure total organic carbon, inorganic carbon, non-purgeable organic carbon, and total nitrogen in liquid samples. | |
| Sartorius Sartoflow Advanced Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) system | Perform ultra and micro filtration using filtration cartridges, with a 10L tank. | |
| Bio-Rad ChemiDoc Imaging System | Perform Western blotting. Nucleic Acid detection, protein staining 1D and 2D gels, and blot detection. | |
| Benchmark Scientific BioClave B4000-18 Autoclave | Sterilize media, glassware, bioreactors, and cell waste. Capacity=18L. | |
| Eppendorf DASGIP Parallel Bioreactor System | Operate four vessels with a working volume of 1.5L each. Probes to measure acidity/alkalinity (pH), dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, liquid level, and temperature. | |
| Bio-Rad GelDoc Go Gel Imaging System | Image fluorescence blots, stain-free gels and blots, and gels with certain stains (ethidium bromide, SYPRO Ruby, Oriole, SYBR). | |
| Bio-Rad C1000 Touch Thermal Cycler with CFX96 Touch Real-Time PCR Detection System | Perform polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify and quantify DNA and RNA. | |
| Eppendorf BioFlo 320 Benchtop Bioreactor | Working volume of 5L, with probes to measure pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved CO2, liquid level, and turbidity. Equipped with 4 peristaltic pumps. | |
| Eppendorf ez-Control Bioreactor system | Working volume of 2L, with probes to measure pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and liquid level, and equipped with 3 peristaltic pumps. | |
| Eppendorf Innova S44i Stackable Incubator Shaker | Temperature range of 20°C below ambient to 80°C, maximum agitation speed of 300 RPM, and a photosynthetic light bank with a wavelength range of 400nm to 700nm. | |
| Eppendorf Innova 42 Incubator Shaker | Temperature range of 20°C below ambient to 80°C, and a maximum agitation speed of 400 RPM. | |
| Labconco Purifier Axiom Class II, Type C1 Biosafety Cabinet | Sterile environment for microbiology projects. | |
| Nuaire NU-540-400 Class II-Type A2 Biosafety Cabinet | Sterile environment for microbiology projects. | |
| STERIS Autoclave SV1263 Prevac Steam Sterilizer | Sterilize media, glassware, bioreactors, and cell waste. | |
| Thermo Scientific NanoDrop One Microvolume UV-Vis Spectrophotometer | Quantify DNA and RNA, and measure the absorbance of samples. | |
| Thermo Scientific EVOS M5000 Imaging System | Visualize fluorescent signals in a sample with TX Red, DAPI, and GFP imaging channels. | |
| Yamato IC-103C Incubator | Static incubator with a maximum temperature of 80°C. | |
| Aqua Solutions RODI-C-12BL Biological Grade Ultra-Low TOC Type I DI System with Built-in Reverse Osmosis (RO) Pre-Treatment | RO + DI = Reverse Osmosis Deionized water filtration system. | |
| Nanalysis 100 Pro Bench Top Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectrometer | Perform purity measurements and molecule identification, operating frequency: 100 MHz, Nuclei: 1H/19F/13C, 1H/19F/31P. | |
| Thermo Scientific GENESYS 180 UV -Vis Spectrophotometer | Analyze absorbance and transmission of liquid samples in the UV and visible wavelength range. | |
| Labconco FreeZone 2.5 L Cascade Benchtop Freeze Dry System | Remove water from samples, usually as a processing step or for sample preparation. | |
| Buchi B-290 Mini Spray Dryer | Remove water or solvent from samples, usually as a processing step or for sample preparation. | |
| Material Performance Characterization Lab (MPCL) | HunterLab MiniScan EZ 4500L 45/0 LAV Spectrophotometer | Colour analysis. |
| Olympus Innov-X X-ray fluorescence (XRF) Analyzer | Measure a wide variety of elements in solid samples. | |
| Waters MV-10 Accelerated Supercritical Fluid Extraction (ASFE) System | Optimize supercritical CO2 extractions. | |
| Keyence VHX-S650E Digital Microscope | Magnify up to 2000x. | |
| Oxford Asylum Research MFP-3D Origin Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) | Perform topography analysis (tapping and contact mode) and other surface analyses, such as force spectroscopy. | |
| Tinius Olsen H25KS Materials Testing Machine | Test tensile stress and perform compression analysis. | |
| Qualitest Izod Q-Impact 50 Impact Tester | Perform izod testing with ASTM sample pieces. | |
| PHCbi MDF-DU502VHA -80 °C UltraLow Temperature (ULT) Freezer | Cell storage at -80C. | |
| Fungilab Alpha Series R Model Rotational Viscometer | Measure viscosity of samples. | |
| Malvern Panalytical Mastersizer 3000 Particle Size Analyzer | Measure particle sizes between 10nm and 3.5cm, providing size distribution for both liquid and solid samples. | |
| TA Instruments Discovery HR 20 Rheometer | Maximum torque: 200 mN·m, torque resolution: 0.1 mN·m, maximum frequency: 100 Hz, maximum angular velocity: 300 rad/s. | |
| Parr Instruments Company 4576A Pressure Reactor System | Pressure: 5000 psi, temperature: up to 500°C, volume: 250 mL, material: Alloy C276. | |
| Parr Instrument Company 4567 Pressure Reactor System | Pressure: 3000 psi, temperature: up to 350°C, volume: 450 mL, material: Alloy C276. | |
| Associated Pacific APM -SA27L Swing Arm Clicker Machine | Punch out test pieces from sample sheets for material testing. | |
| FRITSCH International Universal Cutting Mill PULVERISETTE 19 | Rotational speeds of 300-3000 RPM with a throughput of 60 L/h, grinds to sizes between 0.2 and 2mm. | |
| Retsch AS 200 Vibratory Sieve Shaker | Measuring range: 20 µm–25 mm. | |
| Sheldon Manufacturing SHEL LAB SVAC2 Vacuum Oven | Used for solvent removal and drying. | |
| Buchi Rotovap R-300 EL Rotary Evaporator | Flask maximum capacity=3kg. | |
| Agilent Cary 630 Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer | Equipped with DialPath and Diamond ATR accessories, with a resolution of 4 cm⁻¹. | |
| Metrohm XDS MultiVial Analyzer | Produce rapid non-destructive identification and analysis of materials using visible and near-infrared light. | |
| Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS20 Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer | Includes the Smart iTX Accessory, with a diamond attenuated total reflectance (ATR) device and a Thermal Gravimetric Analysis-Infrared (TGA-IR) device, with a spectral resolution of 0.25 cm⁻¹. | |
| Mettler Toledo TGA/DSC 3+ Thermal Analysis System | Sensor to 1100 °C with robot autosampler. Precise measurement and analysis of thermal effects such as melting, crystallization, and glass transitions. | |
| TA Instruments DSC Q2000 Differential Scanning Calorimeter | Temperature range of –80°C to 175°C. | |
| BioSafety Level 2 Lab (BSL2) | Beckman Coulter CytoFLEX Flow Cytometer | Features Violet-Blue-Red (V-B-R) Series with APC, SSC, PE, PC5.5 channels, and Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). |
| Benchmark Scientific B-4000 BioClave Mini Autoclave | Sterilize media, glassware, and cell waste for Containment Level 2 (CL2) projects. | |
| Bio -Rad T100 Thermal Cycler | Capacity: 96-well plate. | |
| Eppendorf New Brunswick Innova 42 Incubator Shaker | Temperature range = 20°C below ambient to 80°C; Agitation max = 400 rpm. | |
| Eppendorf Centrifuge 5920 R | Large capacity centrifuge, temperature range = -11°C - 40°C, bottle size options = 700ml, 250ml, 50ml, and 15ml, Maximum RPMs, dependent on rotor type used. | |
| Eppendorf CellXpert C170i Cell Culture Incubator | CO2 Incubator. | |
| Labconco Logic Plus Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) | Sterile environment for Containment Level 2 (CL2) projects. | |
| Nuaire NU-540-400 Class II, Type A2 Biosafety Cabinet | Sterile environment for Containment Level 2 (CL2) projects. | |
| Thermo Scientific Varioskan LUX Multimode Microplate Reader | Analyze absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence of a sample. | |
| Stirling Ultracold SU105UE ultra-low temperature (ULT) Freezer | Store samples at -80°C. | |
| Thermo Scientific Orion AquaMate 800 UV-VIS Spectrophotometer | Ultraviolet-visible instrument for water analysis. | |
| Natural Health Products Lab (NHPL) | Agilent 5110 Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) instrument | Quantify over 70 different elements and metals simultaneously, in acidic or aqueous solutions. |
| Bruker S2 PUMA Series 2 Energy Dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXFR) spectrometer with Autochanger | Measure a wide range of elements in solid, powder, and liquid samples. Autochanger with a 20-position sample tray and sample grabber with liquid sample detection. | |
| LECO S832 Sulfur Analyzer | Determine sulfur (S) contents in organic and inorganic samples. | |
| Leco CNH828 Macro Combustion Analyzer | Carbon, Nitrogen, and Hydrogen Analyzer with a 30-position autoloader. |
Private and public sector research partners
• Greenfield Global
• Terra Bioindustries
• DMT Bioproducts
• Bella Biochar
• Veolia
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| Lambton College Research & Innovation | http://www.lambtonresearch.ca |