New tech will drive single-use shift in microbial sector, says Eppendorf

The BioBLU 3f Single-Use Vessel has working volumes of between 60mL to 3.75L and, according to Eppendorf, will offer biopharma researchers and developers working with microbial fermentation advantages of single-use technology.

“The BioBLU f Single-Use Vessels are rigid-wall, stirred-tank bioreactors,”​ scientific communication manager Ulrike Becken from the Hamburg, Germany-based supplier told Biopharma-Reporter.com.

“Such a design has several advantages, as it is favourable regarding scalability and reduces the risk of damage during installation.”​

She added that to Eppendorf’s knowledge, the product is “unique in the bioprocessing space”​ regarding the working volume range of stirred-tank, rigid-wall single-use bioreactors for microbial applications.

Single-use technologies are already well-established in mammalian cell culture, and only recently has industry begun looking to develop single-use solutions for microbial applications, due to the technical challenges involved, Becken explained.

“High-density fermentation of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi makes great demands on mass and heat transfer and the robustness of the drive. Our BioBLU f vessels meet these demands, hence combining the benefits of single-use technology with the reliable performance of conventional glass and stainless steel bioreactors.”​

However, as technology advances the microbial-based industry is expected to shift to single-use technology, she added.

The bioreactor is targeted at drugmakers and researchers working in early-stage process development, and is part of Eppendorf’s single-use upstream offering.

“Our single-use fermentors have been developed as a true replacement of conventional reusable vessels, and critical features, like the vessel geometry and process capabilities, are comparable to conventional reusable vessels,”​ Becken told us.

“This allows to work with single-use vessels in the process development stage and later to scale-up into larger fermentors.”​

Correction: The original article implied Eppendorf's BioBLU f Single-Use Vessel was the first single-use fermentor for microbial applications. This is not the case​