Bioreactors

The scale–up from bench-top bioreactors to larger, pilot systems can seem daunting. The list of user requirements specifications is much longer, and the manufacturer will provide a peculiar drawing called a P&ID. Reading these is second nature to a Bioprocess Engineer. For someone without such a background, this may be a strange concept. Nevertheless, with a bioreactor in the centre of your process, it is vital to link bioprocess technology and mechanical engineering in a schematic representation. This article shows you how to interpret your P&ID and to understand the functionalities of your bioreactor and its capabilities. 

Freeing a port on a small bioreactor can increase its capability. We give you some practical examples how to allow a small bioreactor to outperform its original design limitations.

Several key factors are essential for successful fermentation of pichia pastoris. Here comes a brief and simple overview on what is needed for process optimization in terms of the capability of the hardware used.  

Monoclonal antibodies have been used for testing kits and medical therapies across a wide range of applications. The most recent is to provide a potential treatment for patients suffering from Covid-19 infection. The production of monoclonal antibodies is well understood, scalable and standardized to the extent that it makes a good generic example of a modern bioprocess. This aspect will be the focus of this short overview. 

The shake flask is one of the standard laboratory tools for culture of microorganisms and cells. The bioreactor, conversely, is seen as a specialized, solution for commercial applications and academic departments such as chemical engineering. While there is a generic case to be made for this view, the realities of modern research in the biosciences have expanded the need for more information and semi-production capability at small scales.

The fed-batch technique is an important biotechnological process strategy. Unlike the simpler Batch strategy, the substrate for microbial growth is not administered all at once but added over time. This allows control over the culture growth and product formation, whilst avoiding reactor limitations. Despite these advantages, a fed-batch will require optimization, which can present its own challenges.