ABSTRACT
Biotechnological processes employ a combination of biology and technology to construct an efficient process. This chapter discusses the different mechanisms by which the level of metabolites is controlled in nature and how they influence the biotechnological process. It also discusses various technical solutions for the circumvention of these biological constraints. The metabolic control of metabolite levels may be exerted on different levels. The best known is reversibility in the enzyme-catalyzed process leading to product inhibition. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with various aspects of integration of bioconversion and the first steps in downstream processing, a technology that may lead to the development of a totally new breed of bioreactors. It explores various techniques as applied to the continuous removal of products during the process, a procedure called extractive bioconversion or in situ product recovery.
