Cultivation of Cells and Microorganisms in Wave‐Mixed Disposable Bag Bioreactors at Different Scales

Abstract

Abstract Disposable bioreactors have gained an increasing importance in recent years in the pharmaceutical production. Wave‐mixed reactors were among the first systems which were applied. In contrast to stirred tank reactors, wave‐mixed bioreactors are characterized by low shear forces while the gas exchange is realized by the large gas‐liquid interface. Oxygen transfer rates obtained are often in a range between 50 and 300 h –1 . By applying nutrient‐limiting fed‐batch cultivations, in which the oxygen consumption of a culture is controlled, bacteria can be also cultivated in wave‐mixed reactors. This article describes the successful scale‐up of an Escherichia coli fed‐batch cultivation from the 12‐L to the 120‐L scale using a disposable bioreactor, in which a final biomass concentration of 45 g L –1 was obtained.