Integrated bioreactor platform for rapid scale-up and translation

This tender is being run on behalf of Dr James Winterburn, Reader in Chemical Engineering. Dr Winterburn led a successful BBSRC ALERT21 equipment bid "Integrated bioreactor platform for rapid scale-up and translation", which will provide significant bioreactor capacity for microbial fermentation process development, scale up and translation for a range of bio-based chemicals. The exploitation of bio-based production routes requires a thorough understanding of production strain performance and an ability to rapidly and effectively scale processes from millilitres to tens of litres. The bioreactor platform is intended to provide understanding of how process conditions at different volumes and variability across process parameters (e.g., mixing speeds, dissolved O2, pH), affect host cell performance. The integrated bioreactor platform will bridge across three scales, outlined below, and allow for rapid process development and ultimately support research translation.

 Small-scale: Parallel bioreactor system (500 mL, 6 vessels) for rapid parallel process development, strain testing and parameter optimization for microbial fermentations in batch, fed-batch and continuous cultivation, with off gas analysis capability

 Mid-scale (3L bioreactor system, four vessels): For initial scale up and process development work (e.g., confirmation of feeding profiles, metabolic profiling) and preliminary process analysis (including; yield, productivity, final titre) with off gas analysis capability. Also serves as the seed train for inoculum preparation for scale up to 40L.

 Large-scale feasibility (40L SIP bioreactor): To enable in-house demonstration of process technical feasibility, production of sufficient quantities of material for application testing and benchmarking and provision of data for robust techno-economic analysis which can be used as the basis for commercialisation, also with off gas analysis capability.