Features of a Good Bioreactor

What Qualities Should a Bioreactor Have?

Sterilization:

Because fermentation thrives in sterile environments, it is very useful in hospitals and other places where germs are kept at bay. Consequently, the bioreactor, the growth material, and the air used in the fermentation process must all be sterile.

Institutional sterilization:

The bioreactor's reaction vessel, which contains the required medium, is encased in a jacket or coil through which pressurized steam is pushed. For around 20 minutes, the apparatus is maintained at a temperature of about 120 degrees Celsius. While convenient, in-situ sterilization has certain drawbacks. Since it takes so long to get the bioreactor up to 120 degrees Celsius, it wastes a lot of energy (i.e., energy is squandered). Prolonged heating may damage vitamins as well as precipitate the medium's contents.

Heat sterilization for all time:

Pressured steam is used to sterilize the inside of a basic bioreactor. After just a few seconds under the pressured steam infusion, the temperature may rise to 140 degrees Celsius. Alternative methods of sterilization include using a heat exchanger heated by compressed steam to treat the medium. The component constituents of the medium do not precipitate when subjected to high temperatures for brief periods of time. During the continuous heat sterilization procedure, not a single kilowatt of energy is lost.

Immunization and sample collection

In the bioreactor, the growth medium is maintained sterile until it is time to inoculate it with the generating organism. Between 1 and 10 percent of the total volume of the medium is typically taken up by the inoculum. Lyophilization and storage in liquid nitrogen or a deep freezer ensured the long-term viability of a high-yield manufacturing strain for use in the future. Samples are taken from the bioreactor at certain times throughout the fermentation process. This is essential in assessing the output and identifying any sources of possible contamination.

Aeration:

Aeration of the fermentation medium is essential for both supplying the producing organisms with oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from the bioreactor. The aeration system was developed with gas exchange in mind. Compressed oxygen is fed into the bioreactor through storage tanks and then released via a sparger at the vessel's base. Tiny air bubbles penetrate the ground and rise to the surface. Head space refers to the unused portion of a bioreactor, often the upper 20% or thereabouts, with the current utilization level being around 80%. The gases created during fermentation congregate in the headspace, which provides an air outlet.

Suspended aeration system that utilizes airlift:

For this method, the air is injected into the base of the fermenter. This might cause air bubbles to rise to the surface. If the fermenter can hold more air, then more oxygen will be dissolved in the medium. Considering the breathing ability of the air-lift system, the connection between airflow rate and internal pressure is simple. Oxygen demand refers to the rate at which society consumes the gas, and the aeration capacity must be higher than the oxygen demand if aerobic species are to thrive in low-oxygen environments.

Procedure for blending and oxygenating:

Media's aeration capacity increases after being stirred. There are a number of ways to achieve this, one of which is by using powered impellers. The rate of aeration in a stirred fermenter is dependent on the airflow rate, the internal pressure, and the stirring rate. When compared to stirred fermenters, air-lift fermenters are inefficient at generating substantial amounts of aeration.

Strategies for monitoring and enforcing order:

Maintaining optimal growing conditions in the reaction vessel ensures maximum yield. It is essential to keep a close eye on the fermentation process in order to get the best results possible. This includes keeping an eye on the pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, mixing, nutrient content, and foam production. Thanks to today's sensors, it's now possible to automatically and continuously monitor these parameters.