Single-use bioreactor providing a family of single-use bioreactors from bench-top to full-scale production. Three challenges exist for faster and greater single use bioreactor adoption 1) higher quality and lower cost disposable bags and containers, 2) more reusable and disposable sensors and probes that can provide high quality analytics including real-time cell culture level data points, and 3) a family of bioreactors from lab to production that has full scale-up of the bioprocess. Suppliers are working to improve plastic bag materials and performance and also to develop a broader range of sensors and probes that provide scientists greater insight to cell density, quality
Single-use bioreactor will be continuously reused. The plastic bag that is used instead of a culture vessel is a disposable, as well as all the integrated sub-assemblies like sensors, tubing, and stirrers. The bag and all its parts are mainly made from plastics that are derived from petroleum. Current recycling concepts are mainly focused on incineration, to recover the energy originated from the petroleum as heat and electricity. Most of the petroleum would be burned anyway in power plants or automobiles (citation required). Burning of the single use components of bioreactors creates a detour through biochemical engineering during their life cycle that