Both biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry have made it possible to grow and culture microbes in various ways. For the last two decades, airlift bioreactors have been preferred due to their effectiveness and efficiency. But what exactly is an airlift bioreactor and how does it work? We will look inside an airlift bioreactor to discover its advantages and disadvantages.
Explanation in Detail
There are basically two types of airlift bioreactors: these are the bubble column airlift bioreactors, and the draft-tube airlift bioreactors.
A bubble column airlift bioreactor has supplied gases at the bottom section of the vessel. The aeration in the bioreactor causes upward-moving gas. This phenomenon tends to cause a lift to push the liquid upwards or around. The airlift bioreactor is easily controlled and consumes minimal energy.
The draft-tube airlift bioreactor consists of a vertical pipe called the draft tube, which extends from bottom to top. Gas is injected at the bottom of the draft tube, causing a rising stream of gas bubbles that lift liquid upwards into the draft tube. Gas and liquid then exit at the top of the draft tube and recirculate down to the bottom. Such a type of airlift bioreactor has a higher energy requirement but gives better mixing and higher mass transfer rates.
This offers very good mixing and agitates the liquid extensively, hence providing the ideal environment for growth by microbes. Circulation allows access of all microbes to nutrition and oxygen, leading to uniform growth and sometimes better yields.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of airlift bioreactors
Advantages:
1. Very high efficiency: airlift reactor attain very high yields with least energy and resources.
2. Homogeneous Growth: The proper circulation of fluid ensures all the microorganisms have access to the same nutrient and oxygen, and therefore have uniform growth.
3. Easy to Scale-Up: Airlift bioreactors are not too cumbersome to scale-up for industrial applications.
4. Lesser Contamination: The up-flow of gas eliminates the chance of contamination in airlift bioreactors.
Disadvantages
1. High Energy Demand: Draft-tube airlift bioreactors especially require more energy consumption as compared to other kinds of bioreactors.
2. Low Variability: Airlift bioreactors have low variability and hence may not work in certain types of microbial cultures.
A Beginner’s Guide to Maintaining an Airlift Bioreactor System
1. Frequent Cleaning: Frequent cleaning of the bioreactor is necessary as a preventive measure against the microbial contamination and to maximize growth conditions for the microbe.
2. pH and Temperature: The growth of microbes is also an effect of pH and temperature. These parameters have to be kept under check and maintained because the microbes will be cultivated under optimal conditions of their growth.
3. Upkeep: Regularly the bioreactor system will be maintained, leak checked and all parts working.
4. Sterilization: Before a new microorganism culture is inserted into the bioreactor, the bioreactor has to be sterilized; otherwise, this will compromise the system against contamination.
In conclusion, airlift loop bioreactor are one of the most efficient ways to grow and cultivate microbes. This is because it makes use of the lift generated by a rising stream of gas to circulate and agitate the liquid so that microbes can grow to their maximum potential. While there are some disadvantages with airlift bioreactors, such as a high energy requirement, the several advantages it has make them very popular in the field of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.