GEA Fermenter for Microbial Processes

Based on a stirred tank reactor approach, the Fermenter for Microbial Processes has been developed to let you unlock the benefits of fed-batch and continuous cultivation, allowing you to grow engineered cells at commercial scale. 

Importantly, our fermenter portfolio isn’t just an adaptation of units designed for pharma or traditional biotech applications. We’ve focused on developing fully regulatory compliant solutions that will let you unlock a multitude of opportunities in the exciting sector of “new foods,” including mycelium and alternative proteins.

To do this we’ve had a rethink on the design of fermenters. Rather than expect you to adapt cells to a fixed fermenter design, we’ve focused on cell requirements, such as oxygen transfer, temperature, and factors such as their shear sensitivity, to really understand what is needed to optimize fermenter design and function.

The challenges within fermentation

Understanding and controlling gradients for higher performance

Whether we're discussing gas fermentation, precision fermentation, or mycelium production, some typically common factors that need to be considered include the high demand for gas transfer rates and the ability to precisely control gradients. This is why our fermenter design makes it possible to maintain accurate control in a half-full configuration during the initial stage of a fed-batch process, as well as when the bioreactor is completely filled. For applications with high cell growth rates our external cooling loops make it possible to utilize all capacity without needing to reduce production speed to keep the process at the optimal temperature. Importantly, and compared with traditional cooling coils, our external cooling loops help to reduce temperature variations and gradients, so you can better maintain the correct temperature throughout the tank. External cooling loops also reduce the risk of incomplete tank cleaning. 

For accurate fermenter control it's important to understand that the readings for some measurements, such as dissolved oxygen concentrations, will depend on where in the tank the measurement is made. We understand that it's important to consider probe placement, as well as provide the option for control based on gas transfer rates rather than on dissolved gas concentrations. We also offer an optional advanced sensor package that lets you measure metabolic heat generation, which can help to further optimize large scale processes.

Designed for highly repeatable production 

Importantly, the fermenter is fully automated, with valve feedback alerting operators to any valve or system failure, and sterile barriers to media and harvest lines supporting efficient production 24/7. Our GEA Codex® process control platform helps to ensure process stability and safety during day-to-day operation, allows for precise recipe control, and reduces manual tasks, so there’s less risk of  human error or contamination. The combination of automation and monitoring also helps to reduce waste and the use of resources and media. Install GEA Codex® and you can expect higher process repeatability and reliability, and reduced downtime. 

Test facilities for new food applications

Partner with GEA on your new food journey, and you won’t just get state-of-the-art bioreactor equipment. We like to start with a basic design study that details what you do today, and so together we can evaluate your processes and make sure that your new facility will be a good fit with equipment upstream and downstream of the bioreactors. 

At our New Food Application and Technology Center of Excellence (ATC)  you can evaluate our equipment, work with GEA experts to carry out physical and computational testing, and access all of our process, engineering and cell culture/fermentation knowhow spanning multiple industries, from dairy, to brewery and pharma. 

So, wherever you are on your journey, let us work with you to evaluate your needs and design a GEA fermenter system that will match the needs of your cell-based production process.