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Bioreactor Design and Operational System

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Bioreactors are engineered vessels designed to cultivate microorganisms under controlled conditions for industrial bioprocessing. They maintain sterility and allow precise regulation of pH, temperature, oxygen, and nutrient levels to optimize microbial growth and metabolite production. Bioreactors range from small laboratory units of 1 liter to industrial systems holding up to 500,000 liters, though only about 75% of their volume is actively used for fermentation. The remaining headspace...

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In aerobic fermentations, oxygen is vital for microbial growth and metabolite production. Since air comprises only about 20% oxygen and the gas is poorly soluble in water—just 9 ppm at 20°C—supplying sufficient oxygen becomes a critical challenge, especially in high-demand processes like yeast growth or citric acid production. Even a fully saturated broth may offer only a few seconds of oxygen availability.To address this, sterile or scrubbed air is introduced into the fermentor via a sparger...

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Strain improvement is a foundational strategy in industrial microbiology aimed at maximizing microbial productivity, particularly because natural isolates typically yield commercially valuable products in very low concentrations. Although optimizing the culture medium and environmental conditions can improve yields, these adjustments are inherently limited by the organism’s genetic potential. As a result, the focus shifts toward genetic modifications to enhance biosynthetic capacity. The...

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Updated: Jul 23, 2026

Microfluidic Picoliter Bioreactor for Microbial Single-cell Analysis: Fabrication, System Setup, and Operation

Microfluidic Picoliter Bioreactor for Microbial Single-cell Analysis: Fabrication, System Setup, and Operation

Published on: December 6, 2013

Development of autonomous control in a closed microbial bioreactor.

D T Smernoff¹, R L Mancinelli

¹SETI Institute, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA.

Advances in Space Research : the Official Journal of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)

|September 7, 2001

Summary

Researchers developed an autonomous bioreactor for studying microbial ecosystems and artificial intelligence control. This system monitors key parameters in real-time, enabling robust operation for space life support and terrestrial research.

Keywords:

NASA Center ARC NASA Discipline Life Support Systems

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Area of Science:

Astrobiology
Microbial Ecology
Artificial Intelligence

Background:

Space-based life support systems require sophisticated monitoring and control of ecological components.
Autonomous closed artificial ecosystems are valuable research tools across multiple scientific disciplines.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a bioreactor for studying microbe-environment interactions and autonomous control systems.
To investigate nitrogen cycling and mass balance in closed microbial systems.

Main Methods:

Real-time monitoring of physical parameters (temperature, light) and growth solution composition (pH, NOx, CO2).
Monitoring of cell density and hardware status.
Incorporation of artificial intelligence software for autonomous decision-making and control.

Main Results:

The system provides a valuable research tool for terrestrial microbial ecology.
It serves as a testbed for implementing artificial intelligence concepts in autonomous instrumentation.
Demonstrates potential for robust operation of space-based life support and robotic spacecraft.

Conclusions:

Autonomous bioreactors are essential for future space exploration and life support.
The developed system advances the integration of AI in ecological research.
This technology has broad applications in both space and terrestrial environments.