SBIR Phase I: Disposable, High-Purity, Plastic Bag Bioreactor with Levitated Impeller

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目是设计、制造和测试一种基于搅拌塑料搅拌袋的一次性使用、负担得起的生物反应器。开发实用的一次性生物反应器的主要挑战是在无菌、密封的塑料袋中提供有效的混合，容量从10升到1000升不等。该项目将通过使用超导定子来解决这个问题，该定子将稳定地将一次性使用的搅拌叶轮悬浮在袋子内，从而消除与袋壁的物理接触。这样，通常的叶轮传动、轴、轴承和相关密封件将被淘汰。该设计将结合传统金属罐的优越混合性能和塑料袋的一次性，并将采用低成本、一次性远程pH传感器、氧气传感器和气体喷雾器。在第一阶段的项目中，将使用这样的生物反应器来证明利用基因工程酵母生产新型萜类化合物的可行性。该项目的商业应用是在生物加工领域。该生物反应器有望用于哺乳动物细胞培养和微生物发酵。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to design, fabricate and test a single-use, affordable bioreactor based on a stirred plastic mixing bag. The central challenge in developing a practical single-use bioreactor is to provide efficient mixing in sterile, hermetically sealed plastic bags, ranging in capacities from 10 liters through 1000 liters. This project will address this problem by using a superconducting stator that will stably levitate a single-use mixing impeller within the bag, thus eliminating physical contact with its walls. In this way, the usual impeller drive, shaft, bearings and associated seals will be eliminated. The design will combine the superior mixing properties of traditional metal tanks with the disposability of plastic bags, and will incorporate low-cost, disposable remote pH sensors, oxygen sensors and gas spargers. In the Phase I project, the feasibility of producing novel terpenes by genetically engineered yeast will be demonstrated using such a bioreactor. The commercial application of this project is in the area of bioprocessing. The bioreactor is expected to be useful for both mammalian cell cultures and microbial fermentations.