Can you imagine vaccines and cultures being grown much faster than now? We have achieved this!

BioMixing has developed new agitation systems for bio-fermentation reactors that uses fluid dynamics concepts to reduce damage to cells and optimizes mixing in the vessel. The new agitation systems reduce processing times by more than 50% (depending on the culture) and increases production capacity by a similar amount. The components can be used in new systems, as well as to retrofit other brands of bioreactors.

Lower processing time and better quality

Some biotech reactions are slow and this limits firms' capacity, as we have seen with the covid 19 vaccine production. We can shorten drastically the processing times thanks to a better mixing using our innovative agitators without damaging the cells. Additionally, with the improved mixing we get a better control of the culture and a higher product quality.

Lower shear on culture

If the agitation is too intense to get a better mixing, then shear stress may become a very important problem particularly for delicate cultures, such as mammal cells. Using concepts of Fluid Dynamics and complex mathematical models, we can determine the maximum agitation speed that can be worked with for each culture based on the size, the number and the geometry of the impellers.

Fastest scaling process

Culture growth has to be done in several steps (the so-called scaling process) which, again, limits the production capacity. Our knowledge on fluid dynamics allows us to simulate the flow and gas dynamics using complex mathematical models so that we can predict the behavior of large bioreactors.

Investment saving

Bioreactors are expensive. As our innovative system reduces processing time by more than 50% (depending on the culture), the number or the size of bioreactors needed is smaller, with the subsequent reduction of investment.

What are bioreactors?

They are the essential equipment in the production of complex organic compounds used in the pharmaceutical industry, such as many drugs for cancer treatment, vaccines (in particular those for the Covid-19), many personalized treatments…

Bioreactors are complex and have many components such as the vessel, pumps, aerators, agitators, heating system, cooling system, sensors, filters, automatic control or software. Many of these parts are quite standard, but there are two components, in which we focus, that can have a high impact in the efficiency of the bioreactor: the aerator & agitation systems.

Types of bioreactors we offer

Currently, we offer stirred bioreactors and agitation and aeration systems that can be used to retrofit existing bioreactors. With regard to size, we offer bioreactors of all sizes from 1liter. Smaller size bioreactors can be single-use.

Bioreactor market

Currently, the production capacity and product quality of industrial bioreactors is limited and they could be drastically improved. One of the most current consequences is the problem that the World has been suffering from the pace at which the Covid-19 vaccine is being produced. In the health sector, the productivity and time-to-market are key to success, which has become evident with the current crisis. The bioreactor performance is highly dependent on the geometry of the stirring system and the reactor itself. Small changes in the geometry of the mixer blades and in the aeration system can produce very different results in terms of mixing times, oxygenation of cultures or cell rupture.

We are good at designing bioreactors because we combine a profound academic knowledge on aerodynamics and fluid mechanics with a large experience of optimizing chemical and biological reactors. BioMixing can upgrade the best available bioreactors. We have modernized some bioreactors of prestigious brands to demonstrate that our designs can improve the capacity of current reactors, achieving a substantial increase in their productivity.