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We have discussed and analyzed about the factors that affect mass transfer and the results of finite element simulation in Part 1. Now we will show you 4 specific applications of 4 kinds of impellers in biopharma and products from Cobetter in Part 2.
04 Applications in the Biopharmaceutical Industry
1. Axial Flow Impeller
For example: Cobetter Lifecask™ RG series disposable bioreactor bags, Cobetter Lifecube™ MG disposable mixing bag, Cobetter Lifecube™ MK disposable mixing bag, Cobetter Lifecube™ MKP disposable mixing bag.
Cell culture
In biopharmaceuticals, cell culture requires uniform nutrient distribution and appropriate gas exchange, but cells are sensitive to shear forces. Axial flow implellers can achieve good mixing under low shear conditions, making it suitable for culture systems such as mammalian cells and insect cells that are sensitive to mechanical stress.
Bioreactor stirring
Axial flow impellers are widely used in the mixing system of bioreactors to ensure uniform distribution of culture medium and oxygen. The axial flow generated by the impeller helps to improve the transfer rate of dissolved oxygen and the uniform distribution of nutrients, especially in large-scale fermentation, increasing the yield and quality of fermentation products.
Protein production
In the process of protein production, axial flow impellers can provide suitable fluid dynamic conditions, reduce the generation of shear forces, thereby protecting the protein structure and avoiding protein degradation or inactivation caused by strong mixing.
Pharmaceutical mixing process
The mixing process of biopharmaceuticals requires achieving uniform mixing without damaging the active ingredients. Axial flow impellers can achieve efficient mass transfer in low-speed mixing, ensuring uniform distribution of components, and are suitable for operations such as liquid-liquid mixing and solid-liquid dispersion in pharmaceutical processes.
2. Radial Flow Impeller
Cobetter Lifecube™ MP disposable mixing bag, Cobetter Lifecube™ ML disposable mixing bag.
Microbial fermentation
In microbial fermentation, in order to improve the transfer of dissolved oxygen, radial flow impellers are often used to increase the mixing intensity and meet the fermentation system with high oxygen demand. Radial flow impellers can create strong turbulence in bioreactors, effectively promoting the oxygen transfer rate at the gas-liquid interface, and are suitable for the fermentation process of microorganisms that are insensitive to shear forces, such as Escherichia coli and yeast.
Dissolving and dispersing operations
In pharmaceutical preparations, it is often necessary to dissolve and disperse the drug components into a liquid. Radial flow impellers can generate high turbulence in solutions, effectively dispersing solid components evenly, and are particularly suitable for dissolving and mixing high viscosity substances or powdered drugs.
Protein purification and precipitation reaction
The radial flow blade can provide efficient mixing for protein precipitation reactions, helping to quickly disperse precipitants and promote reaction progress. For example, in some protein purifications, it is necessary to evenly distribute precipitants such as salts and acids and bases into the solution to quickly form protein precipitates.
Treatment of high viscosity fermentation broth
In some high viscosity fermentation broths (such as high molecular weight products produced by bacterial or fungal fermentation), radial flow impellers can provide sufficient stirring force to overcome the mixing resistance caused by viscosity, ensure the uniform distribution of nutrients and oxygen in the fermentation broth, and maintain a good biological reaction environment.
3. Helical Ribbon Impeller
Cell culture and fermentation
Helical Ribbon impellers perform well in cell culture and fermentation processes with high viscosity, such as fungal or plant cell culture. These cell culture systems often require gentle shear forces and a uniform flow environment. Helical ribbon impellers can provide moderate axial flow, reducing mechanical damage to cells and making them suitable for shear sensitive systems such as mammalian cells.
Mixing of viscous fermentation broth
In the fermentation process with high viscosity medium (such as the production of polymer fermentation products), helical ribbon impellers can provide strong axial flow, carrying materials from the bottom to the top of the reactor, ensuring uniform distribution of nutrients, preventing local aggregation of materials in the reactor, and improving production efficiency.
Mixing of sensitive ingredients with slow stirring
In the preparation process of biopharmaceutical products, certain sensitive proteins or biological products need to be slowly stirred in a low shear environment to avoid degradation. Helical ribbon impellers can generate gentle flow at low speeds and are suitable for preventing denaturation or degradation of active ingredients.
Uniform mixing in pharmaceutical formulations
Helical ribbon impellers are also suitable for mixing high viscosity drug solutions and formulations. Its design can provide uniform mixing effect, suitable for the preparation process of viscous suspensions or emulsions, ensuring that each component is evenly distributed in the viscous matrix, maintaining the uniformity and stability of the formulation.
4. Rushton Impeller
For example Cobetter Lifecube™ MS Disposable mixing bag.
Microbial fermentation
In the process of microbial fermentation, oxygen supply is crucial, especially for the cultivation of Escherichia coli, yeast, and other aerobic microorganisms. Rushton impellers generate strong radial flow and turbulence, which can effectively increase the gas-liquid interface area, promote the dissolution rate of oxygen, and meet the high oxygen demand of microbial fermentation processes.
Gas-liquid mixture reaction
Rushton impellers are particularly suitable for biological reactions that require efficient gas-liquid mixing, such as oxygen transfer in cell culture and fermentation reactions. Its high shear force and strong turbulence enable bubbles to quickly disperse and evenly distribute in the reactor, thereby improving the mass transfer efficiency of oxygen and avoiding bubble aggregation.
Mixing of high viscosity systems
In the stirring of certain high viscosity fermentation broths or culture media, the radial flow of Rushton impellers can effectively promote the overall circulation of liquid, resulting in uniform distribution of nutrients and oxygen. This is very helpful for some fermentation broths with high viscosity, such as certain fungal cultures.
Rapid reactions in protein production
The high shear force of Rushton impellers helps accelerate reaction rates and mass transfer process, and is therefore used in certain protein production processes that require rapid reactions in biopharmaceuticals. Its turbulent conditions facilitate rapid mixing of reactants and improve conversion efficiency.
Foam control of fermentation broth
In the process of fermentation, too many bubbles sometimes lead to foam problems. The strong shear force of Rushton impeller can break bubbles to the certain extent, which helps to reduce the production of foam and ensure the stability of fermentation process.
