A prototype micro-fermentation platform for microbial strain and process development.
Lead Participant:
TAP BIOSYSTEMS LIMITED
Abstract
A key need in the bioprocessing sector is for systems that can reduce the costs and times
associated with the development of biological manufacturing processes. This would increase
competitiveness through reduced times to market and improve quality and production cost and
efficiency.
This project aims to deliver a working prototype of an innovative bioprocessing platform that
meets growing needs in diverse industry sectors. The instrument will run up to 48
independent micro-bioreactors in parallel (10-15 ml each) for the development and
optimisation of industrial microbial processes. The functionality of this instrument aims to
enable users to rapidly and cost effectively screen organisms (or strains) and growth
parameters (e.g. media) and optimise the culture conditions before progressing to large
conventional fermentors. At present developers undertake such early processes in nonbioreactor
conditions, such as shake flasks which lack control systems and are sub-optimal
since the conditions used do not properly reflect larger scale manufacturing conditions. For
these reasons, current biomanufacturing processes and their development are often inefficient
and sub-optimal
Each small-scale bioreactor will be a single-use disposable item supplied in a sterile, ready-touse
format, removing the need for sterilisation and cleaning at instrument turnaround between
experiments. Current alternate strategies using numerous reusable bench-scale fermentors are
slow due to cleaning, sterilisation and complex set-up activities and impose high labour
burdens during set-up and operations.
The system described will reduce the labour required to carry out such experimentation and
increase the number of experiments possible by an order of magnitude. Adopters of the
instrumentation platform developed in this project will improve their competitiveness by
reducing the cost of development of improved processes and, critically, reducing the
development cycle time.
associated with the development of biological manufacturing processes. This would increase
competitiveness through reduced times to market and improve quality and production cost and
efficiency.
This project aims to deliver a working prototype of an innovative bioprocessing platform that
meets growing needs in diverse industry sectors. The instrument will run up to 48
independent micro-bioreactors in parallel (10-15 ml each) for the development and
optimisation of industrial microbial processes. The functionality of this instrument aims to
enable users to rapidly and cost effectively screen organisms (or strains) and growth
parameters (e.g. media) and optimise the culture conditions before progressing to large
conventional fermentors. At present developers undertake such early processes in nonbioreactor
conditions, such as shake flasks which lack control systems and are sub-optimal
since the conditions used do not properly reflect larger scale manufacturing conditions. For
these reasons, current biomanufacturing processes and their development are often inefficient
and sub-optimal
Each small-scale bioreactor will be a single-use disposable item supplied in a sterile, ready-touse
format, removing the need for sterilisation and cleaning at instrument turnaround between
experiments. Current alternate strategies using numerous reusable bench-scale fermentors are
slow due to cleaning, sterilisation and complex set-up activities and impose high labour
burdens during set-up and operations.
The system described will reduce the labour required to carry out such experimentation and
increase the number of experiments possible by an order of magnitude. Adopters of the
instrumentation platform developed in this project will improve their competitiveness by
reducing the cost of development of improved processes and, critically, reducing the
development cycle time.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| TAP BIOSYSTEMS LIMITED | £732,774 | £ 250,022 |
Participant |
||
| TECHNITEX FARADAY LIMITED |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Andy Wylde (Project Manager) |