New Type Of Bioreactor Research Articles

Gas injection into a tilted rotating cylinder

The flux of CO2 diffusing inside a new type of bioreactors has been measured experimentally. This geoinspired bioreactor consists of a partially filled cylinder rotating around its axis tilted vertically, thus mimicking the precession motion of the Earth. The height of fluid is chosen equal to two radii in order for the first Kelvin mode to be resonant. The CO2 diffuses through a membrane located at the bottom of the liquid. The partial pressure of CO2 above the free surface is measured as a function of time. This temporal evolution is modeled by the presence of diffusive layers with no advection at the top and the bottom of the liquid. This basic model leads to an experimental value for the flux of CO2 at the membrane, which is found to be proportional to the inverse square root of the Ekman number. This is in agreement with the presence of Ekman layers of thickness proportional to the square root of the Ekman number. At a given Ekman number, the flux weakly depends on the tilt angle α with a scaling as α1/4.

Transformation of harmful algae bloom to helpful renewable energy development with artificial intelligence development

The harmful effects of various algae blooms on human and marine life are well-known globally. It is necessary to invent the utilization of such algae bloom for betterment of society and hence proposed research provided multiple benefits. As a supportive tool, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming the high potential area for the fast analysis and predictions in almost all research areas. Also, a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a relatively new type of bioreactor for wastewater treatment. As there is a need for invention of new renewable energy sources, we invented Sargassum as a new media for energy generation and therefore this research is the first time using Sargassum samples in a single-chambered MFC. This paper presents the development of new deep learning algorithm SargassoCNN to identify the various types of Sargassum bloom samples which further can be analyzed for selection of sample for best electricity generation medium using deep learning image processing algorithm.

Recent advances and safety issues of transgenic plant-derived vaccines.

Transgenic plant-derived vaccines comprise a new type of bioreactor that combines plant genetic engineering technology with an organism's immunological response. This combination can be considered as a bioreactor that is produced by introducing foreign genes into plants that elicit special immunogenicity when introduced into animals or human beings. In comparison with traditional vaccines, plant vaccines have some significant advantages, such as low cost, greater safety, and greater effectiveness. In a number of recent studies, antigen-specific proteins have been successfully expressed in various plant tissues and have even been tested in animals and human beings. Therefore, edible vaccines of transgenic plants have a bright future. This review begins with a discussion of the immune mechanism and expression systems for transgenic plant vaccines. Then, current advances in different transgenic plant vaccines will be analyzed, including vaccines against pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotic parasites. In view of the low expression levels for antigens in plants, high-level expression strategies of foreign protein in transgenic plants are recommended. Finally, the existing safety problems in transgenic plant vaccines were put forward will be discussed along with a number of appropriate solutions that will hopefully lead to future clinical application of edible plant vaccines.

The use of peat granules in a fluidized bed bioreactor

AbstractThis study describes the particle characteristics and fluidized hydrodynamics of peat granules. Peat granules, moistened with water, are a potential packing material in a gas–solid fluidized bed bioreactor used for treating air pollution. Information on the fluidization of wet peat granules is lacking. In order to advance this new type of bioreactor and to scale up its design for industrial use, fluidization studies of suitable packing material are required. Using abiotic experiments, three sizes of peat granules have been fluidized with air and fluidization characteristics were observed at different superficial gas velocities. Relative to other biomass particles, peat granules have a high particle density and sphericity, which contributes to favourable fluidization behaviour, without gas channelling. Fluidization experiments demonstrate that as the mean size of peat particles increased, minimum fluidization velocity increased. Increasing the moisture content of the peat granules resulted in a transition from bubbling bed fluidization to poor fluidization behaviour. Other types of moist biomass particles such as sawdust are difficult to fluidize and typically exhibit Geldart group C behaviour. In contrast, it was observed that wet peat granules could be fluidized in a bubbling bed regime, typical of group B particles.

Improvement of efficiency of genetic transformation for Dunaliella salina by glass beads method

Dunaliella salina has been exploited as a new type of bioreactor due to its unique advantages. However, this bioreactor application was restricted for absence of a high-efficiency and stable transformation method at present. In the present study, the cells of D. salina were transformed by glass beads. The results of histochemical staining revealed that the GUS gene was successfully expressed in the positive transformants, and PCR and PCR-Southern blot analysis further demonstrated that the bar gene was integrated into the D. salina genome. Moreover, the three transformation methods, including glass beads, bombardment particle and electroporation, were compared for screening a high-efficiency transformation method for gene engineering of D. salina. The results showed that transformation efficiency of the glass beads was the highest, approximately 10(2) transformants/microg DNA. It is concluded that the established glass beads method has been demonstrated to be an optimal transformation way for D. salina.

Modeling of a foamed emulsion bioreactor: I. Model development and experimental validation

Recently, a new type of bioreactor for air pollution control referred to as the foamed emulsion bioreactor (FEBR) has been developed. The process relies on the emulsion of an organic phase with a suspension of an actively growing culture of pollutant-degrading microorganisms, made into a foam with the air undergoing treatment. In the current paper, a diffusion and reaction model of the FEBR is presented and discussed. The model considers the fate of the volatile pollutant in the emulsion that constitutes the liquid films of the FEBR. Oxygen limitation as well as substrate inhibition were included in the biokinetic relationships. The removal of toluene vapors served for the validation of the model. All the model parameters were determined by independent experiments or taken from the literature. The model predictions were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data and the model provided useful insights on the phenomena occurring in the FEBR. Model parametric sensitivity studies and further discussion of the factors that limit the performance of the FEBR are presented in Part 2 of this paper.

Treatment of cow‐waste slurry by a microbial fuel cell and the properties of the treated slurry as a liquid manure

ABSTRACTResource recycling and the proper treatment of animal waste to reduce its environmental impact are currently important issues for the livestock industry. A microbial fuel cell (MFC), a new type of bioreactor, is expected to play roles in both waste‐water purification and energy recovery. However, the generation of electricity from cow waste has not yet been examined. In this study, using an MFC, we examined the possibility of generating electricity from dairy‐cow waste slurry, and analyzed the properties of the treated slurry as liquid manure for resource recycling. The MFC treatment of the slurry generated electricity in a dose‐dependent manner, and the maximum power output by the MFC from a 1 g of chemical oxygen demand/L slurry was 0.34 mW/m2. After the MFC treatment, 84% of the biological oxygen demand in the slurry was removed and three essential fertilizer elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) were retained at 84, 70, and 91% levels, respectively. The amount of ammonia nitrogen in the slurry, as an element of fast‐release fertilizer, was increased by 1.9‐fold. Although the treated slurry displayed properties that made it preferable as liquid manure, further studies to improve the electrical power output by the MFC are required for practical use.

AN EFFICIENT MICROPROPAGATION SYSTEM: 3R BIOREACTOR

A new type of bioreactor called Revert Rotary Reactor (3R) has been constructed in order to try its efficiency in plant micropropagation. Cultures of Hosta, Ananas and banana were used as model plants investigating their multiplication and physiological parameters. Cultures were grown in different systems: on solid media and in bioreactor moduls in liquid media with or without aeration. The best quality plants were obtained from the aerated treatments. The multiplication rates doubled compared to the solid media or the non-aerated liquid. Photosynthetic parameters were about the normal values in all treatments except Hosta cultures where a certain inhibition of growth and hyperhydricity was observed in the liquid without aeration. When monitoring the photosynthetic activity a negative value was found in case of plants cultivated on the solid media what means that they conducted no photosynthesis but breathed intensely. In contrast the photosynthetic activity exceeded respiration in cultures from the liquid media. Anatomical studies of the leaves showed that the stomata are functioning, the epidermis became thick and excretion of epicuticular waxes started in plants from the aerated vessel. All of these plantlets survived following acclimatization.

Development of foamed emulsion bioreactor for air pollution control.

A new type of bioreactor for air pollution control has been developed. The new process relies on an organic-phase emulsion and actively growing pollutant-degrading microorganisms, made into a foam with the air being treated. This new reactor is referred to as a foamed emulsion bioreactor (FEBR). As there is no packing in the reactor, the FEBR is not subject to clogging. Mathematical modeling of the process and proof of concept using a laboratory prototype revealed that the foamed emulsion bioreactor greatly surpasses the performance of existing gas-phase bioreactors. Experimental results showed a toluene elimination capacity as high as 285 g(toluene) m(-3) (reactor) h(-1) with a removal efficiency of 95% at a gas residence time of 15 s and a toluene inlet concentration of 1-1.3 g x m(-3). Oxygen limited the reactor performance at toluene concentration above about 0.7-1.0 g x m(-3); consequently, performance was significantly improved when pure oxygen was added to the contaminated air. The elimination capacity increased from 204 to 408 g x m(-3) h(-1) with >77% toluene removal at toluene inlet concentrations of 2-2.2 g x m(-3). Overall, the results show that the performance of the FEBR far exceeds that of currently used bioreactors for air pollution control.

Solid substrate fermentation of lignite by the coal-solubilizing mould, Trichoderma atroviride , in a new type of bioreactor

Trichoderma atroviride CBS 349 is able to solubilize lignite. The mould was cultured under non-sterile conditions in a new type of bioreactor for solid substrate fermentation. German lignite (lithotype A, Bergheim) was used as complex solid substrate. Over 40 days 140 g of 1.5 kg lignite held in a 25 l-bioreactor was solubilized by the fungus.

Aerobic Phenol Biodegradation in an Inverse Fluidized-Bed Biofilm Reactor

A new type of bioreactor, an inverse fluidized-bed biofilm reactor, was used for the continuous aerobic biodegradation of phenol in contaminated water. The process proved to be very stable in time, with a constant and high rate of biodegradation obtained during the three-month operation of the bioreactor. This was because of the efficient and simple biofilm thickness control. The effect of the dilution rate on the rate of phenol biodegradation was studied at different inlet phenol concentrations. The biodegradation rate was found to pass through a maximum. Using a kinetic model, this effect was explained by the presence of a large amount of suspended biomass, produced during the biofilm thickness control in the bioreactor.

The application of ore immobilization to the bioleaching of refractory gold concentrate

In this paper we are proposing a new type of bioreactor for the biological oxidation of refractory gold ores. In order to reduce the intraparticle friction, to reduce the energy consumption and increase the volumetric rate of oxygen transfer, the sulfide particles are entrapped into the pores of an inert material (non-woven textile). It was named immobilized ore bioreactor. It has been shown that this reactor can handle up to 40% w/v of pyrite, which is twice the typical value for classic slurry bioreactors. The volumetric rate of pyrite oxydation by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans in the new reactor was 2.5 times higher than that in a slurry bioreactor operating under similar initial conditions.

Soil immobilization: new concept for biotreatment of soil contaminants.

A new concept for the development of microbial consortia for the degradation of persistent soil pollutants and for pollutant treatment is proposed. The concept defined as "soil immobilization" is based on the entrapment of soil particles, showing microbial activity in degrading the target pollutant, into a solid membrane with a large pore size distribution. The particular hydrodynamic and mass transfer properties of this system result in a very efficient process. A new type of bioreactor is proposed for carrying out the immobilized soil process. The performance of the system was tested by developing a microbial system for the mineralization of pentachlorophenol (PCP). The results show that the volumetric efficiency of the process for PCP mineralization in the immobilized soil bioreactor is 1-3 orders of magnitude higher than reported literature values. Chlorine and carbon atoms of PCP are both nearly completely (99%) mineralized.

Oxygen transfer in a multiple air-lift loop reactor

The Multiple Air-lift Loop reactor (MAL) is a new type of bioreactor, in which a series of airlifts with internal loops is incorporated into one vessel. As such, the MAL is an approximation of an aerated plug-flow fermenter. Gas/liquid oxygen transfer was studied as a function of the gas flow rate in a MAL. The second MAL-compartment in the series was investigated in particular, and a Rectangular Air-lift Loop reactor (RAL) was used as a reference. Both a dynamic and a steady-state method were used for the determination of the overall volumetric oxygen-transfer coefficient. Both methods gave the same results. The oxygen transfer coefficient in the second MAL-compartment was low compared to that of conventional internal-loop reactors. Wall effects probably caused bubble coalescence and a reduction in the oxygen transfer. For the RAL it was found that oxygen transfer was comparable to that in a bubble column.

A hyperefficient process for enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis in the intensive mass transfer reactor

A new type of bioreactor, the intensive mass transfer reactor (IMTR), has been developed for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. Using T. reesei cellulases (2 FPU/ml), 3.5–6% of sugars were obtained in the IMTR after 0.5–2 h of cellulose hydrolysis with a productivity of 30–73 g/l.h.

Microbial Transformation on Interface between Hydrophilic Carriers and Hydrophobic Organic Solvents

A new method for the microbial transformation of water-insoluble compounds is proposed. Microorganisms were placed on the interface between hydrophilic carriers such as agar and hydrophobic organic solvents. These microorganisms could catalyze various transformations of synthetic substrates such as hydrolysis, esterification, oxidation, and reduction more efficiently than emulsion systems. This new type of bioreactor was tentatively named an Interface Bioreactor.

Hydrodynamic model for liquid‐impelled loop reactors

A new type of bioreactor, in which two liquid phases are used, is introduced and a model description of its hydrodynamic behavior is given. The model is based on the two-phase drift-flux model of Zuber and Findlay and on a friction coefficient derived from one-phase flow theory. Drop sizes, necessary for model calculations, were estimated from literature correlations and photographically verified. The model predicts the continuous-phase circulation velocity and dispersed-phase hold-up within an accuracy of 5% for a pilot-plant reactor, and within 10% for a lab-scale reactor. Only at very low ranges, especially on lab scale, is this accuracy not attained.

High-rate acetic acid production in a shallow flow bioreactor

The production of acetic acid in a new type of bioreactor was investigated. The bioreactor featured a shallow, horizontal flow of medium under a bacterial film of Acetobacter aceti M7. The volumetric productivity increased with increase in the specific liquid surface area. The maximum productivity was 31.7 g acetic acid·l-1 per hour for a specific liquid surface area of 10.7 cm-1 and the exit acetic acid concentration of 57.6 g·l-1. The productivity was considerably higher than values surveyed in the literature regarding the acetic acid concentration of normal vinegar (about 45 g·l-1).

Biological elimination of ammonium contained at high concentration in waste water

In a two-stage pilot plant substantial degradation of dissolved organic carbon compounds and ammonium has been achieved by an aerobic biological process at an extremely short residence time of the waste water in the bioreactors. This success is due to the application of a new type of bioreactor, called the reciprocating jet bioreactor.

Scale‐up of bioreactors for fermentation of mammalian cell cultures with special reference to oxygen supply and microcarrier mixing

AbstractThe increasing demand for products from mammalian cells has prompted the authors to develop a new type of bioreactor. Its significant features include the supply of oxygen, homogeneous distribution of microcarrier suspensions and process control. Media with high protein contents, required for mammalian cell cultures tend to generate foam. This causes the flotation of solid particles. The reactor was equipped with a system of porous hydrophobic Accurel hollow fibre membranes in order to prevent the formation of bubbles. The membrane is coiled in the form of a basket, or fixed on several carriers. If the liquid pressure is higher than that of the gas phase inside the membrane, a bubble ‐ free oxygen supply to the culture broth can be achieved. The problem of axial mixing of microcarier suspensions was solved by the use of a spiral agitator, attached underneath the aeration system at the bottom of the reactor. The combined aeration and mixing system, which is driven by an eccentric motor, undergoes a tumbling motion. Sufficiently homogeneous suspensions are produced in this system at low membrane velocities, i.e. in presence of low shear forces.