Intensified Bioreactors

The development and application of novel intensified reactor technology to bioprocesses such as fermentation and enzymatic processes represents an exciting area of research. Tremendous opportunity exists for the design of novel continuous reactor systems for enhanced productivity.

In conventional biological fermentation reactors, adequate oxygen transfer to living cells has long been a challenging problem, more so in high cell density cultures where the oxygen requirements are exceptionally large. Because of the low solubility of oxygen in water, the oxygen transfer rate from the gas bubbles into the liquid phase often dictates the oxygen take up rate by the living cells.  Poor gas-liquid mass transfer capabilities of conventional reactor designs result in cell growth rate and cell density being compromised and productivity being severely restricted under such conditions of oxygen limitations. It is envisaged that such mass transfer limitations may be overcome by the use of intensified reactor technologies such as rotating packed bed systems involving high voidage packing material.

Previous Projects

• Study and characterisation of highly porous packed bed agitators for gas-liquid mass transfer enhancement in E.coli fermentation 

• Development of a centrifugal field bioreactor (CFBR) for continuous fermentation processes

• Application of ultrasonication for bioprocess enhancement