Single-Use Bioreactors

A single-use or disposable bioreactor is a bioreactor with a disposable bag instead of a culture vessel. Single-use bioreactors allow processors to implement the use of disposable technology, such single-use bags, in manufacturing process steps that had previously been reserved for stainless steel equipment.

There are two main types of single-use bioreactors: stirred and rocking. A stirred bioreactor uses single-use materials that are already integrated in the plastic bag. The bag and the stirrer are mounted in the bioreactor and the stirrer is connected either mechanically or magnetically. A rocking single-use bioreactor is agitated by a rocking motion and does not need stirrers within the single-use bag. There are multiple single-use process steps available today, including media preparation, cell cultivation, process development, process optimization, and microbial processes in R&D. Autoclaving a traditional bioreactor can become a lengthy, costly, and inconsistent endeavor for your pharmaceutical manufacturing process. Because single-use or disposable bioreactors utilize presterilized bioprocess bags, they greatly reduce the additional costs and time of sterilization. Featuring less moving parts than traditional bioreactors, single-use bioreactors are less expensive to maintain on the mechanical end.

Key things to consider when purchasing single-use disposable bioreactors include: the cost, the reaction size, the desired operating volume, dimensions, capacity, and temperature control. Save on pharmaceutical manufacturing energy, maintenance, and detergent costs with single-use bioreactors.