Bioreactor sensors for every phase

In the biopharmaceutical industry, the bioreactor is the beating heart of the production process. This is where microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria, as well as animal cell lines, are cultured for the production of, among other things, medication. If you want to achieve consistent quality from this, your sensors are at least as important as the cells themselves. When monitoring, calibration, or validation are insufficiently reliable, this can have a direct impact on the yield and reproducibility of the fermentation process.

From R&D to production: sensors that scale with your needs

A robust fermentation process relies on a number of key pillars: hygiene, a sterile environment, reliable monitoring, calibration, and validation. If one or more of these pillars fail, your yield may decline. That is precisely why the choice of your measuring equipment is so crucial.

In the R&D phase, work is often carried out with small volumes of 1 to 20 litres, usually in glass bioreactors. These have fixed ports into which sensors are placed, connected to a biocontroller that continuously monitors parameters such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, CO₂, and osmolality. This is followed by the scale-up phase or process development with volumes of 10 to 500 litres, and ultimately the production scale of more than 500 litres.

We support companies in every phase of their process. Our sensors scale alongside your needs, so that scaling up does not have to mean starting over.

Kevin Boels

Sales Support Manager Process at Elscolab

Analogue versus digital

Many laboratories still work with analogue systems today. This works, but there are disadvantages, as signal transmission is less stable and the system is susceptible to malfunctions. This is exactly where a digital sensor makes the difference. Alongside the measured value, you receive data on the last calibration, the number of operating hours, and when maintenance is required. The user therefore receives not only measurement data but also real-time insight into the condition of the sensor. This helps to plan maintenance more effectively and guarantees reliable measurements during critical processes.

Moreover, the transition is simpler than you might think. Many digital sensors can be perfectly integrated into an existing analogue setup. As a result, companies can digitise gradually without having to immediately adapt their entire installation or working method. This is ideal for laboratories that wish to make the transition without having to make large investments immediately.

The step from analogue to digital is smaller than many laboratories think.

Wouter Postuma

Sales Engineer at Elscolab

Single-use bioreactors: a new variant

Alongside classic glass and stainless steel reactors, the single-use bioreactor is rapidly gaining ground. In a sterile bag, you can produce hundreds of litres in a single run, and afterwards, the entire system is replaced or disposed of at once.

This approach brings three clear advantages. The contamination risk drops drastically, the chance of a successful fermentation increases, and when working with hazardous viruses or infectious bacteria, you immediately gain improved safety for personnel. For applications within vaccine development or high-containment environments, this offers additional advantages in terms of biosafety and contamination control.

There is also flexibility regarding sensors: you can continue to use the same robust sensors or opt for smaller sensors that are already integrated into the single-use bag. Whatever you choose, your sensors help determine how far you get.

Sensor technology continues to evolve

Today, biopharmaceutical processes can already be monitored very accurately for parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, CO₂, and osmolality. At the same time, new developments continue to follow one another in rapid succession. Think, for example, of future inline measurements of lactate or glucose, which will allow processes to be managed and optimised even more accurately.

Ready for the next step?

No fermentation process remains the same for years on end. At Elscolab, you will find sensors that scale with the needs of your process, today and tomorrow. Curious about what this means for you?

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