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Mass Transfer in Bioreactor

The Novavax vaccine uses genetically modified moth cells that require a constant oxygen supply to function properly. Oxygen is transferred from gas bubbles into the liquid medium and then to the cells through diffusion processes. Effective oxygen transfer depends on factors like small bubble size and agitation to circulate oxygen throughout the reactor. The bioreactor design includes a foam breaker and foam detector to prevent foam buildup from interfering with cell growth, as the introduction of gases can cause foaming.

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126 views2 pages

Mass Transfer in Bioreactor

The Novavax vaccine uses genetically modified moth cells that require a constant oxygen supply to function properly. Oxygen is transferred from gas bubbles into the liquid medium and then to the cells through diffusion processes. Effective oxygen transfer depends on factors like small bubble size and agitation to circulate oxygen throughout the reactor. The bioreactor design includes a foam breaker and foam detector to prevent foam buildup from interfering with cell growth, as the introduction of gases can cause foaming.

Uploaded by

Alex Lochai
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Unit 4

The Novavax vaccine utilizes genetically modified moth cells. Naturally, all living cells
require oxygen for metabolism and product formation. As such, a constant flow of oxygen
must be supplied to the bioreactor to ensure that there exists a proper utilization of oxygen
and product formation.

In order for the cells to obtain the supplied oxygen, mass transfer must occur – from the
gaseous oxygen bubble to the liquid phase and lastly to the cell. The oxygen entering the
reactor in the form of bubbles is transferred to the liquid phase (bulk gas to gas film, gas film
to liquid film and lastly liquid film to bulk liquid). The transfer of the oxygen occurs between
the gas-liquid interface via a molecular diffusion process. As the oxygen is transferred to the
bulk liquid, it interacts with the cells – this then allows for the transfer of oxygen from the
liquid to the cell via osmosis and lastly, within the cell the transfer and transportation of
oxygen occurs.

However, it is necessary to have a sufficient oxygen mass transfer taking place. There are
several factors that can affect the rate and magnitude of the transfer taking place. Firstly, the
bubble size should not be excessively large – they should be small. The smaller the bubble
diameter, the larger the surface area being covered. Additional to this, since insect cells are
quite resistant to shear stresses, it is allowable for agitation to occur within the reactor - . The
agitation within the reactor allows for the oxygen transfer to take place throughout the entire
reactor and not at one single point. With both of these factors, the total mass transfer of
oxygen would be incredibly sufficient for the product formation.

Adding onto the reactor’s design for effective and efficient oxygen mass transfer, the
introduction of gases into cell cultures typically allows for the formation of foam in which its
build up is undesirable as it can affect the growth rate on cells. To avoid foam build-up,
mechanical or chemical methods can be used separately or simultaneously. Due to the large
power requirement for commercial bioreactors utilizing a mechanical-only mitigation method
is extremely power intensive. However, simultaneously using a foam detector, chemical anti-
foam agent and a mechanical method is more reliable. According to [ CITATION Del08 \l
11273 ] a mechanical foam breaker is the most widely used mechanical device. The
bioreactor would thus include a foam breaker with an additional foam detector which signals
the antifoam delivery pump.
References
Cox, Manon. 2012. “Recombinant protein vaccines produced in insect cells. .” Vaccine 30:
1759-1766.

Cytiva. n.d. Cytiva. Accessed March 28, 2021.


https://www.cytivalifesciences.com/en/us/solutions/bioprocessing/knowledge-
center/7-factors-that-affect-oxygen-transfer-to-cells-in-bioreactors.

Delvinge, Freank, and Jean-Paul Lecomte. 2008. “Foam formation and Control in
Bioreactors.” Wiley Encyclopedia of Industrial Biotechnology 1-36.

Pamboukian, Marilena Martins, Soraia Athie Calil Jorge, Mariza Gerdulo Santos, Adriana
Yurie Yokomizo, Carlos Augusto Pereira, and Aldo Tonso. 2008. “Insect cells
respiratory activity in bioreactors.” In Cytotechnology, 37-44. Springer.

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