The way to adequate control of microbial processes passes via real-time knowledge-based supervision.

Knowledge-based supervision is viewed as a major tool for achieving high-performance control of microbial processes. By providing an adequate insight into the integral state of the cell culture, knowledge-based supervisory systems allow for monitoring and handling various important phenomena which usually remain outside the scope of the conventional control approach. The present paper focuses on the development of a computer system for knowledge-based supervision of bioprocesses. Its application to the control of fed-batch cultivation of recombinant Escherichia coli for phenylalanine production is also discussed.