The Next Level: Why Move To A Bioreactor?

Bioprocessing relies on living cells or their components to create pharmaceutical, biofuel, or nutrition products. Whether bacterial, fungal, plant, or mammalian, cells used for these processes need unique conditions for optimal growth and product formation. Important parameters include temperature, pH, and the concentrations of nutrients and oxygen in the culture medium.

When cultivating cells and microbes in flasks or plates for large-scale production, scientists often need to combine material from multiple culture vessels. This creates a substantial manual work load and may be a source for variability. Alternatively, they may use bioreactors and fermentors*, which simplify the process of increasing biomass and product formation, boost efficiency while lowering costs, and help generate reproducible results.