Advanced Biofuel Development Using Parallel Bioreactor Systems

By Christiane Schlottbom and Sebastian Kleebank

To make biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel competitive with fossil fuels extensive research in the field of process development is needed. Taking into account the special requirements of biofuel production, such as high temperatures, multi-step procedures and anaerobic conditions, effective tools for streamlining development efforts must be provided.

Process optimization efforts start at the lab scale with industrial standard bioreactors mimicking the manufacturing process and delivering reproducible and scalable results. Parallel bioreactor systems featuring industrial bioreactor design and addressing key requirements have the potential to save time and decrease costs through integrated process development.