A bioreactor is a device designed to grow living organisms or biochemically active substances under controlled conditions. There are several types of bioreactors due to the wide variety of processes, these can be classified in different ways, although they always include the following features:
• Jacket for temperature control.
• Acid and base inlet for pH control.
• Sterile gas inlet. These gases can be air, O2, CO2, N2, amongst others.
• Aseptic inlet for inoculum, medium or specific nutrients.
• Ventilation filter. This is usually a 0.2µm hydrophobic membrane to prevent external contamination and emission of cells into the environment.
• Stirrer. There is a variable number and type of blades depending on the culture conditions.
• Probes for parameter analysis (O2 concentration, pH...).
• Aseptic inlet for sampling and parameter analysis.