bioreactor and its design | Downstream Processing | MANISH MEVADA

Bioreactors (Fermenters)

• Bioreactors are considered as ves sels in which raw materials are biologically converted into specific products by microbes, plant and animal cells and / or their enzymes.
• Small volume cultures cannot give large quantities of the products .
• Large scale production (100 - 1000 litres) of the products is carried out in bioreactors.
• A bioreactor provides the optimal conditions for obtaining the de sired product by providing opti mum growth conditions such as temperature, pH, substrate, vitamins, oxygen and salts.

Types of Bioreactors

• The most commonly used bioreactors are of stirring type.
• Stirring type bioreactors are
• Simple stirred - tank bioreactor and Sparged stirred - tank bioreactor
• In the sparged stirred - tank bioreactor, sterile air bubbles are sparged.
• The surface area for oxygen transfer is increased.

Fermentation Process

• Fermentation is the process by which microor ganisms turn raw material such as glucose into products such as alcohol.
• The term fermentations originally applied only to anaerobic processes but is now used more broadly to include all processes whether aerobic or anaerobic.
• All operations are carried out under sterile conditions to avoid contamina tion of the culture.
• The product is either the cells themselves (biomass) or some useful cell product.
• Two basic types of fermentation are possible.
• These are batch fermenta tion and continuous fermentation.
• In batch fermentation, the nutrients and microorganisms are put in a closed reactor and not changed from outside once the fermentation starts, for example, no more nutrients are added.
• When nutrients are utilized, the product is separated from microorganisms.
• In continuous fermentation nutrients are replaced as fast as they are used and products are removed as fast as they are made.

Uses

• The stirred - tank bioreactor is well suited for large - scale production of micro - organisms under aseptic conditions for a number of days.
• It can be used easily in research laboratories Other advantages are an oxygen delivery system, foam control system, a temperature control system, pH control system, etc.

Drawbacks

• Drawbacks in this bioreactor are that it is relatively expensive to run it.

Downstream Processing

• After the formation of the product in the bioreactors, it undergoes through some processes before a finished product to be ready for marketing.
• The processes include separation and purification of products which are collectively called the downstream processing.
• The product is subjected to quality control testing and kept in suitable preservation.
• If drugs are to be manufactured such formulation has to undergo throu clinical trials.
• A proper quality control testing for each product is also needed.
• The downstream processing and quality control test are different from product to product.

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Manish Mevada

M.Sc, M.Phil, B.Ed

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