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