Team:UCSC/BR

Bioreactor Expert

   Excited to begin designing our bioreactor, we quickly recognized the immense amount of considerations that such a project required. Our task was to create a containment vessel that monitored and regulated temperature, pH, and flow rate of the feedstock to our microbes. Nurturing the optimal conditions for cell growth was no simple task, and it required an incredible amount of research on our end to understand what design fits best with our needs. All of this in mind, we contacted the Biotechnology Applications Specialist, Andrew T. Lanutti, at Bellco Glass Inc. Mr. Lanutti worked at Bellco Glass as a Biotechnology Application Specialist from 1995-2000, before transitioning to Centocor as a Cell Culture Manufacturing Scientist. At Centocor, a biopharmaceutical company, Mr. Lanutti specialized in bioreactor controls and troubleshooting, cell culture processes, and training of personnel on bioreactor protocols. Mr. Lanutti since returned to Bellco Glass in late 2008, and has been excelling as a Biotechnology Application Specialist ever since.

   The main considerations discussed during our interview with Mr. Lanutti were the materials, sterility, and environmental concerns of a bioreactor. One important issue was deciding which fittings for our bioreactor would work best. Since 316 stainless steel is too expensive for DIY biotech, we had opted for nylon fittings instead. Mr. Lannutti recalled that FDA regulations limit which materials are permissible, and that nylon fittings comply with these regulations--while brass could leach potentially deadly ions into the culture. Regarding the importance of sterility, we recognized that even the smallest mistake could contaminate the entirety of our bioreactor. On this point, Mr. Lanutti noted that as you scale up your design and increase throughput, if sterility is not achieved in the first stage then you must immediately redesign, since you will almost certainly fail sterility in pursuant stages. Our conversation also hovered around temperature, pH, and nutrient flow--all of which are essential to keeping our cells alive. Mr. Lanutti claimed that all of those concerns are of utmost importance, because before we can consider production we must first ensure the culture is capable of surviving in this established environment. Going forward, we realized that it was incredibly important for us to succeed in the basics; to take our design in small steps to ensure we were laying the correct foundation before moving forward.