Air Lift bioreactors are used for fragile cell lines, where the use of an impeller for mixing would likely cause damage to the cells.
Originally developed in conjunction with a leading international pharmaceutical company, the dynamics of our Air Lift bioreactors are designed to provide optimum mixing of your fragile cell lines.
Unlike traditional bubble columns, which are effectively just a tube with a gas inlet at the bottom, the Electrolab Air Lift incorporates a vertical division within the bioreactor tube. Carefully designed geometry and a specially designed off-set sparger enables the cells and media to be gently and efficiently circulated around the bioreactor.
Air (or other gases) is introduced at the base of the bioreactor. The stream of bubbles then causes the density of the media on one side of the division to decrease. Oxygen is dissolved into the media, sustaining the cells.
The gas flow causes the media to rise to the point where some of the bubbles burst into the headspace; the media then circulates down the other side of the division to the base, where the process repeats itself on a continual basis.
The base, machined from a solid billet of 316L stainless steel, provides stability, and levelling feet are provided to ensure it always stands truly vertical. The Air Lift bioreactors are available in the standard working volumes of 5, 7 and 10 litres. Other sizes can be built on request.
If agitation control is not required (such as with our Air-Lift bioreactors), the FerMac 240 Temperature control module is suitable.
The Air Lift bioreactor can be used with our FerMac 360 controller, of where simpler control is required, the appropriate 200 series control modules.
This normally includes the regulation of pH, dO and temperature, but other control functionality (such as light) can also be regulated. As there is no motor unit involved, the bioreactor can also easily be integrated with other manufacturers’ controllers.
If you have any questions or require more information about the FerMac Air Lift Bioreactor then please get in touch.
Temperature & agitation control module
Temperature controller
Oxygen controller
pH Controller
Foam/Level controller