Bioreactors: maximum precision and efficiency in every process
An industrial bioreactor is a skid designed to provide a controlled environment where micro-organisms, animal or plant cells, or biomass can grow, multiply, and produce specific biological products. Given that they can facilitate large-scale biological processes efficiently and in a controlled manner, bioreactors are essential for a range of industries, including the pharmaceutical, food, chemical, and veterinary medicine industries.
Bioreactor systems come in many forms and scales, from mini bioreactors used in laboratories for research and development to large-scale production units for industrial demands. Among these systems, Single-Use Bioreactors have gained popularity due to their flexibility, reduced cleaning requirements, and lower risk of cross-contamination. These disposable bioreactors are especially useful in pharmaceutical manufacturing, where sterile conditions and rapid turnaround times are critical.
A fermenter is a specific type of bioreactor used to perform fermentation processes, where microorganisms convert substrates into products, such as transforming milk into yoghurt. This process typically requires precise control of nutrient levels, oxygen concentration, pH, and temperature to optimize the growth of microorganisms and maximize product yield. Ensuring a good level of sterilization in a bioreactor is very important to avoid potential contamination risks. The sterilization process can involve using steam directly or by heat applied from a heating chamber surrounding the tank. An industrial sterilization process to inactivate micro-organisms and bacteria normally takes about 30 minutes at a temperature of around 130ºC. The tank needs to be aseptic and pressurisable up to 3 bar in both cases, complying with the PED pressure equipment directive.
INOXPA BIOREACTOR: stirred-tank bioreactor
Stirred-tank bioreactors are super popular in all kinds of industries because they’re great at keeping everything inside the tank mixed up and moving. They use built-in stirrers to make sure the ingredients stay evenly combined, which is key for getting reliable, high-quality results every time.
You’ll often see them in action when making chemicals or during fermentation, like when growing helpful microorganisms used in things like food and medicine. They’re basically the behind-the-scenes workhorses that help keep production smooth, steady, and efficient.
INOXPA really knows its stuff when it comes to mixing and agitation. Their team is great at picking the right equipment to make sure everything inside the tank is blended smoothly and evenly. Their fermenters come with a CXC agitator, which includes a mechanical seal to keep the tank properly sealed and running safely.
To get the best results, they use radial or Rushton turbines, special types of blades that are perfect for mixing gases into liquids. These blades help make sure the oxygen added to the tank is spread evenly throughout the product, which is super important for maintaining optimal oxygen concentration. Proper oxygen distribution improves mass transfer efficiency, a crucial factor for aerobic processes, ensuring microorganisms receive the oxygen they need for growth and metabolism.
Bioreactor Components
A bioreactor creates a controlled environment in which such factors as temperature, pH, oxygen, and nutrients are maintained at optimal levels. The precise control of these parameters maximizes the growth and development of microorganisms or cells and the efficiency in the production of the desired products. Agitation is a key aspect to ensure the best possible homogenization of gases and nutrients. INOXPA employs its extensive experience with agitation and mixing components to assemble the most efficient skid for these types of processes.
The Main Components
- Growth chamber: It is a stainless steel aseptic tank where the micro-organisms or cells grow and develop.
- Agitation system: Uniform mixing of nutrients and gases is carried out using a Rushton turbine, which is excellent at dispersing gases in liquids, enhancing mass transfer rates and oxygen concentration throughout the medium.
- Temperature control: The optimal temperature is maintained using heating or cooling systems, crucial for maintaining biological activity and enzymatic reactions.
- pH control: pH measurement allows assessing the current status of the process, as different organisms and reactions require specific pH ranges for optimal function.
- Gas diffuser: The oxygen needed for aerobic organisms is provided by means of aeration or by injecting oxygen, ensuring adequate oxygen concentration levels within the bioreactor. Some processes may require an anaerobic environment, which bioreactor systems can also accommodate by excluding oxygen or supplying inert gases like nitrogen.
- Turbidity: A turbidity indicator (in NTUs) is used to monitor the growth of microorganisms, providing real-time feedback on biomass density.
- Feeding and harvesting systems: The inlet and outlet are used to provide raw materials (nutrients) and remove products and waste in a controlled, aseptic environment to prevent contamination and maintain optimal nutrient levels.
- Gas control: Gas concentration is monitored inside the tank to ensure ideal oxygen levels and to maintain aerobic or anaerobic conditions depending on the process requirements.
Bioreactor Uses in Different Fields
- Pharmaceutical Industry
Bioreactors are essential for producing:
- Vaccines (e.g. flu, COVID-19)
- Antibiotics (like penicillin)
- Insulin and other therapeutic proteins
- Monoclonal antibodies are used in cancer treatment and autoimmune diseases
They provide a controlled environment to grow microorganisms or mammalian cells that produce these valuable medical products. The ability to monitor and control oxygen concentration, nutrient levels, and pH is critical for the success of these bioprocesses, as is the use of Single-Use Bioreactors in certain cases for flexibility and sterility.
- Biotechnology and Research
In biotech labs, bioreactors are used for:
- Growing genetically engineered microorganisms for research or product development
- Producing recombinant proteins
- Culturing stem cells and studying tissue growth
- Testing and scaling up new bio-based processes before moving to industrial production
Mini bioreactors are commonly employed here for process development and optimization due to their small size and ability to mimic larger-scale conditions, allowing detailed study of bioprocess parameters, including mass transfer and oxygen concentration.
- Food and Beverage Industry
Bioreactors play a major role in:
- Fermentation for making products like yogurt, beer, wine, vinegar, and cheese
- Producing probiotics and food-grade enzymes
- Growing single-cell proteins and alternative food sources (like lab-grown meat)
These processes rely heavily on maintaining the proper nutrient levels, oxygen concentration (for aerobic fermentations), and agitation to ensure consistent product quality and yield. The types of bioreactors used in this industry include stirred-tank and membrane bioreactors, which help improve productivity and product purity.
- Agriculture
Bioreactors are used to produce:
- Biofertilizers (like nitrogen-fixing bacteria)
- Biopesticides (microbial products that control pests)
- Animal vaccines and veterinary biologics
- Culturing plant cells for producing plant-based compounds or regenerating plants via tissue culture
Such applications often require bioreactor systems capable of maintaining sterile and controlled conditions, sometimes under an anaerobic environment, depending on the microorganism.
- Environmental Engineering
They help in sustainable and eco-friendly processes like:
- Wastewater treatment using bacteria to break down pollutants
- Producing biogas (methane) from organic waste
- Bioremediation, where microbes are used to clean up oil spills or contaminated soil
A membrane bioreactor is commonly used in wastewater treatment, combining biological degradation with membrane filtration to effectively remove contaminants and produce clean water, representing an advanced type of bioreactor system designed for environmental applications.
- Industrial and Chemical Manufacturing
Bioreactors support the production of:
- Biofuels (like ethanol and biodiesel)
- Bioplastics and other biodegradable materials
- Industrial enzymes for detergents, paper, textiles, etc.
In these applications, the optimization of mass transfer and oxygen concentration is crucial to maximize yield and productivity. Stirred-tank bioreactors equipped with high-efficiency agitation systems are typically employed for large-scale production. Some processes may also employ anaerobic environment bioreactors for producing chemicals where oxygen is inhibitory.
Bioreactors may not be the most obvious component of contemporary industry, but their influence is gigantic. These systems provide exactly the right conditions for microorganisms and cells to develop, flourish, and manufacture everything from vaccines and antibiotics to food, fuel, and even sustainable materials.
With exacting control over parameters such as temperature, pH, oxygen, and mixing, bioreactors facilitate each process being carried out successfully and efficiently. Whether in a pharmaceutical laboratory, a dairy processing plant, or a wastewater treatment plant, behind the scenes, they quietly ensure everything stays in line.
INOXPA's bioreactors based on stirred-tank design are an excellent illustration of the difference thoughtful engineering can bring: dependable performance, intelligent mixing concepts, and concern for safety and hygiene at each production phase. Their bioreactor systems incorporate advanced agitation and sealing technologies, optimizing oxygen concentration and mass transfer to support diverse bioprocesses.
As the globe trends towards cleaner, greener solutions, bioreactors will increasingly become important to sustaining innovation and enabling high-quality products that enhance the lives of individuals and the world as a whole. The use of membrane bioreactor technologies in particular points the way forward for sustainable industrial processes, combining biological efficiency with membrane filtration for high purity and reduced environmental impact.
