Featured Research Projects

Helianthus tuberous Plant and Tubers

Helianthus tuberous Plant and Tubers


Helianthus Tuberosus "Jerusalem Artichoke"

Inulin Sugar Chemical Structure

Helianthus Tuberosus "Jerusalem Artichoke" for production of bio-butanol, biopolymers and prebiotic inulin sugars.

Photo left: Inulin Sugar Chemical Structure

Please Click Here for Complete List of Papers on J. Artichoke by Dr. A. Margaritis

Biochemical Engineer Laboratory

150 L Pilot Plant Stirred Tank Bioreactor

150 L Pilot Plant Stirred Tank Bioreactor


Dr. A. Margaritis has laboratory space in both the Spencer Engineering and Thompson Engineering buildings on the University of Western Ontario Campus.

List of Laboratory Equipment:

  • 150 L pilot plant stirred tank bioreactor and processing equipment
  • 5 L and 15 L stirred tank bioreactors
  • Two 1000 L pilot plant bioreactors available
  • 25 L fluidized fibrous bioreactor for immobilized cells
  • Chromatography instruments including HPLC, GC and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) units
  • Spectrophotometers
  • Centrifuges
  • SEM, TEM, NMR, XRD, ATM, DSC, Zetasizer and Mastersizer facilities available
  • Autoclave sterilization facilities
  • Fumehoods
  • Biosafety cabinets
  • Laboratory shakers and incubators for culture growth
  • Freezers and refridgerators
  • Mammalian cell culture incubator
  • Cell homogenizer
  • Wiley-Mill size reduction equipment
25 L Immobilized Cell Fluidized Bioreactor System

25 L Immobilized Cell Fluidized Bioreactor System

Available Research Projects

Doxorubicin-loaded γ-Polyglutamic Acid Biopolymer Nanoparticles

Doxorubicin-loaded γ-Polyglutamic Acid Biopolymer Nanoparticles

  • Production and Characterization of Doxorubicin-loaded γ-Polyglutamic Acid Nanoparticles

  • Biological Hydrogen Production using Mixed Bacteria Cultures

  • Production of Bio-Butanol from Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke)

  • Production and Characterization of Prebiotic Inulin Sugars from Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke)

  • Production of biopolymers from Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem Artichoke)

  • Development of Novel Applications of γ-Polyglutamic Acid in Waste-Water Treatment

  • Design and Application of Gas-Lift Immobilized Cell Bioreactors

  • Supercritical Carbon-Dioxide Extraction of Phyto-Pharmaceuticals (Cyclosporine A)

  • Bioprocess Economic Feasibility Analysis for Bio-Fuels Production

  • Novel Biopolymer Production from Renewable Carbohydrate Materials

  • Applications of Free and Immobilized Yeast Cell Bioreactors

Nanofibrils of Bacterial Cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum (TEM image)

Nanofibrils of Bacterial Cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum (TEM image)