BioXplorer 400: Bench-top, 4 Bioreactor, Automated Parallel Biotechnology Platform

The BioXplorer 400 is a bench-top, parallel 4 bioreactor platform, typically with 500 ml volume reactors.  It is typically utilized in:

  • Research
  • The latter stages of screening / early stages of process development

It has the same design, inputs, and outputs as larger systems, thus facilitating a greater number of investigative variables than a microplate or shake flask, but with an increased number of parallel samples than larger bioreactor systems. This combination of relatively high throughput with high information content enables better decision-making for scale-up and thus can speed up development.

The BioXplorer 400 is available as both a low- and high-pressure variant, enabling access to a wide range of applications ranging from standard gas fermentation and aerobic cultures, to facilitating studies into decarbonizing high-pressure C1 gas fermentation.

Features and Options:

Vessel Types and Volumes/Test Cells

  • Reusable glass bioreactors are appropriate for a wide range of applications at atmospheric pressure.
  • All reactors are suitable for autoclaving, with auto-cleavable probes as standard.
  • Uniquely developed head plates to house all feeds and probes.
  • Working volumes ranging from 20 ml to 400 mL.
  • Bioreactor geometry that mimics production-scale systems.

Temperature Control

  • -50 ⁰C to 250 ⁰C as standard (circulator dependent).
  • Fine temperature control, with fluctuations normally lower than ±0.05 ⁰C

High-Pressure Systems

  • Stainless steel reactors for standard or elevated pressure (up to 10 bar/145 PSI) fermentations.

Sampling Systems

  • Through active pumps, manual dip tubes, automated level control, or multisampling units, like the ASU.

Sensor Options

  • Temperature, pressure, pH, DO, turbidity, conductivity.
  • Optional: Integration of third-party probes, such as in-situ FTIR, particle sizing probes, and Raman probes.

Independent Stirring

  • 250 up to 1500 rpm via suspended magnetic agitation.
  • 0 up to 1500 rpm via overhead stirring.

Reagent Addition

  • Through fully automated liquid and gas feeds as well as volumetric syringe pumps. These solutions can be applied to both high and low-pressure systems.

Control Options

  • All relevant inputs can be logged, enabling automated monitoring and, where appropriate, feedback control of the reactor system

Intelligent Software Control and Analysis

  • The labCONSOL control software from H.E.L operates the BioXplorer 100 system, thereby allowing complicated, completely automated experiments to run without the need to be monitored. This allows:
    • Multi reactor control with unrestricted step recipe planning, where plans can be altered at any time without process interruption
    • User-defined data logging with customizable tabular and graphical displays
    • Starting and stopping reactors simultaneously or individually
    • Export data functions and integration with in-house record keeping systems and electronic lab notebooks

Safety Features

  • Include automatic user-configurable reaction monitoring and shutdown procedures, to ensure user safety.
  • Automatic hardware and software fail-safes are installed on every system.