Efficiency of mixing in the CellMaker bioreactor

Moving a fermentation process to a bioreactor offers several key advantages, including high-volume fermentation, precise environmental control, and uniform distribution of substrates. The CellMaker systems are designed to understand the significance of maintaining homogeneity within the enclosure for optimal process control. Our innovative airlift bioreactor design addresses these crucial factors.

Uniform Mixing and Efficient Gas Exchange: The CellMaker bioreactor bag stands out from traditional bioreactors as it does not rely on mechanical devices for media mixing. Instead, the unique shape of the bag is engineered to ensure uniform mixing and efficient gas and nutrient exchange. This is achieved through directed flow of gas bubbles through the liquid culture.

Optimised Bag Geometry for Enhanced Performance: Our bioreactor bag’s geometry has been meticulously designed to optimise the mixing of the fermentate. The circular motion from the conical bottom to the wider top section enables liquid circulation, preventing the settling of biological materials at the bottom of the bioreactor. Moreover, the bag shape significantly impacts the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa), a crucial parameter in aerobic fermentation that describes oxygen delivery efficiency to the cells.

Study on Mixing and Oxygenation Efficiency: To validate the efficiency of mixing and oxygenation, we conducted a comprehensive study using the full range of CellMaker bioreactor bags, available in working volumes from 1.5L to 50L. The CellMaker system’s most significant benefit lies in its ease of bioprocess scaling, providing researchers with versatility and flexibility.

VVM for Efficient Bioprocess Scaling: When up-scaling fermentation, the VVM (Volume of sparged air to Volume of liquid per Minute) is a key parameter to estimate system performance based on air sparging. In the CellMaker system, air flowrate is crucial for both mixing and aerating the media. By comparing the desired VVM to the fermentate volume in the bioreactor bag, researchers can calculate the approximate air flowrate required for maintaining process efficiency.

The results of our study provide valuable insights into the mixing and aeration efficiency achievable with the CellMaker bioreactors during fermentation up-scaling. The data offers an overview of what to expect when using our innovative airlift bioreactor design, enabling researchers to optimise their bioprocessing workflows.

Cellexus is committed to enhancing bioprocessing efficiency with our state-of-the-art airlift bioreactor design. The unique shape of our bioreactor bags ensures uniform mixing, efficient gas exchange, and excellent mass transfer. Researchers can confidently scale up their fermentations, thanks to the ease of use and precise control offered by the CellMaker system. With Cellexus, achieve superior results in bioprocessing and accelerate advancements in various fields, including biopharmaceuticals, antibodies, and more.

Application note attached.