CONCEPTS OF A BIOREACTOR

(PICTURE TAKEN FROM WWW.NIROINC.COM)

For this blog, we will discuss in a preliminary way on what really is a bioreactor or a fermentor. In industrial fermentation technology, our goal is to produce high volume of fermentation products which will be industrially or economically viable. This means that we have to produce sufficienr fermentation products such as metabolites, enzymes, pharmaceuticals or biomass that is economically viable. In any industry, there is an economy of scale, so that production is technically and economically viable for the market.

As we have previously discussed, one or just a few microbial cells would not be able to produce significant amount of products. To be industrially viable we must produced tons or even thousands of litres of the fermentation products! In order to do this we have to grow or cultivate high amount of microorganisms... billions and billions of microorganisms to effect the production of enough fermentation products for the market.

It is not easy to produce billions and billions of microorganisms and thousands of litres of fermentation products. Under laboratory conditions or at the level of the hobbyists which deals with just a few litres of fermentation broth, things are simpler and easier to facilitate. At the level of industries we need bigger facilities which can produce the fermentation products.

To achieve this objective, fermentation industries need the use of fermentors or bioreactors that can support the growth of very high concentration of microorganisms. A bioreactor or a fermentor is not just any simple vessel that can hold large volumes of fermentation broth. It is more than that!.

A bioreactor is a specially designed vessel which is built to support the growth of high concentration of microorganisms. It must be so designed that it is able to provide the optimum environments or conditions that will allow to support the growth of the microorganisms.

Before designing the vessel, the fermentation vessel must fulfill certain requirements that is needed that will ensure the fermentation process will occur efficiently

1 The vessel should be robust and strong enough to withstand the various treatments required such as exposure to high heat, pressure and strong chemicals and washings and cleanings
2 The vessel should be able to be sterilized and to maintain stringent aseptic conditions over long periods of the actual fermentation process
3 The vessel should be equipped with stirrers or mixers to ensure mass transfer processes occur efficiently
4 It should have sensors to monitor and control the fermentation process