title: A novel parallel shaken bioreactor system for continuous operation.
abstract: A novel continuous bioreactor system was developed as a shaken culture vessel for the investigation of the growth kinetics and product formation of microorganisms in milliscale. The novel bioreactor system mainly consists of a specially designed 250-mL shake flask with two inlets, one for gas supply and one for medium supply, and one combined outlet on the side of flask for exhaust gas and culture liquid. As a result of the circulating motion of the fermentation broth in the shake flask, the maximum liquid height reaches the edge of the outlet and the fermentation broth is accelerated into the outlet by centrifugal force. Additionally, the excess fermentation broth leaving the culture vessel is continuously driven by the exhaust gas. Because of the small scale and the simple handling it is possible to operate many of these shaken bioreactor vessels simultaneously. By using parallel vessels operated at different dilution rates on the same shaker, the data for a complete biomass over dilution rate (X-D) diagram of a biological culture can be evaluated in an efficient manner, thus saving money, materials, and time. Continuous fermentations of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae H1022 (ATCC 32167) in the shaken bioreactor system and in a conventional stirred tank fermentor showed very similar results.
authors.affiliation: Biochemical Engineering, Aachen University of Technology, Sammelbau Biologie, Worringerweg 1, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akgün
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Preis
authors.forename: Birthe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klingelhöfer
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Büchs
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012212:Rheology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D005947:Glucose