Shake flasks and cell culture dishes are the first vessels that come to mind as cultivation systems for growing eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells in the laboratory. Bioreactors (fermenters) are another possibility to consider for cultivating cells on a large scale under optimum conditions. This can result in the production of large quantities of the desired product, resolving cultivation bottlenecks, improved efficiency, or enhanced reproducibility.
Bioreactors are used in various applications, including basic research and development, and the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, food and food additives, chemicals, and other products e.g., enzymes, antibodies, and vaccines.
Cultivation options
Bioreactors available in the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry can be used for:
- Process development
- Vaccine, recombinant protein and monoclonal antibody production
- Production of biofuels and secondary metabolites
- Process strategy development in batch, fed-batch, continuous or perfusion operation
- Scale-up and scale-down experiments
- High cell density fermentation
- Suspension cultures and adherent cell culture with micro carriers
- Cultivation of filamentous organisms
The volumes of the bioreactors range from 300 mL to 15 L
Other Services
- Spinner flasks; 100 ml & 500 ml
- Off-gas analysers
- Data logger
- Temperature Gradient Incubator
Bioreactor Operational TrainingBioreactor Maintenance and Support
Bioreactor Laboratory Coordinator
Lecturer/Researcher
steynl@ufs.ac.za
+27 51 401 7468