Bioreactors are the heart of many biotechnological processes, providing a controlled

environment for biological reactions to occur. They are essentially vessels where or-
ganisms (like bacteria, yeast, fungi, plant cells, or animal cells) or their biochemical
components (like enzymes) are cultivated to produce desired products. The classifica-
tion of bioreactors can be approached from several angles, each highlighting a differ-
ent aspect of their design, operation, or application.
Here's a deep dive into the classification of bioreactors:
I. Based on Mode of Operation:
This classification focuses on how the raw materials are fed into the bioreactor and
how the products are harvested.
* Batch Bioreactor:
* Description: This is the simplest mode. All the raw materials (medium, inoculum)
are added at the beginning, and the process runs to completion. No further nutrients
are added, and no product is removed until the entire batch is finished.
* Characteristics:
* Nutrient concentration decreases over time.
* Product concentration increases over time.
* Cell growth follows a typical growth curve (lag, exponential, stationary, death
phase).
* Easy to operate and sterilize.
* Applications: Production of secondary metabolites (like antibiotics) where the
product is often formed during the stationary phase, small-scale production, initial
process development.
* Fed-Batch Bioreactor:
* Description: This mode starts as a batch process, but one or more nutrients are
added intermittently or continuously to the bioreactor as the process progresses, with-
out removing any culture broth.
* Characteristics:
* Allows for higher cell densities and product yields compared to batch.
* Helps to overcome substrate inhibition or catabolite repression.
* More complex to operate than batch, requiring controlled feeding strategies.
* Applications: Production of high-value products like recombinant proteins, thera-
peutic antibodies, and certain antibiotics, where high cell concentrations are desired.
* Continuous Bioreactor (e.g., Chemostat, Turbidostat):
* Description: In this mode, fresh medium is continuously supplied to the bioreac-
tor, and an equal volume of culture broth (containing cells and products) is continu-
ously removed.
* Characteristics:
* Maintains a steady-state environment, meaning cell concentration, substrate con-
centration, and product concentration remain relatively constant over time.
* Allows for prolonged operation and high volumetric productivity.
* Requires precise control of flow rates and other parameters.
* Susceptible to contamination over long runs.
* Applications: Production of biomass (e.g., single-cell protein), wastewater treat-
ment, study of microbial physiology under steady-state conditions.
II. Based on Aeration and Mixing (Gas-Liquid Contact):
This classification highlights how oxygen (for aerobic processes) and nutrient mixing
are achieved within the bioreactor.
* Stirred Tank Bioreactors (STR):
* Description: The most common type, characterized by mechanical agitators (im-
pellers) that provide mixing and facilitate gas dispersion. Air or oxygen is typically
sparged through a ring sparger at the bottom.
* Characteristics:
* Excellent mixing and mass transfer (oxygen, nutrients).
* Good control over process parameters (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen).
 * High shear stress due to impellers, which can be detrimental to shear-sensitive
cells (e.g., animal cells).
* High power consumption.
* Subtypes:
* Mechanically Stirred Tank Bioreactor: Uses impellers (like Rushton turbines, ma-
rine propellers) for agitation.
* Orbital Shaker Bioreactor: Smaller scale, often used in labs, where the entire
vessel is agitated on an orbital shaker.
* Applications: Large-scale production of biomass, microbial metabolites (antibi-
otics, enzymes), recombinant proteins from robust microbial cultures.
* Pneumatically Agitated Bioreactors (Bubble Column and Airlift Bioreac-
tors):
* Description: These bioreactors rely on gas (air) bubbles for mixing and aeration,
eliminating the need for mechanical agitators.
* Characteristics:
* Lower shear stress, making them suitable for shear-sensitive cells.
* Lower power consumption compared to STRs.
* Less efficient mixing and mass transfer at very high viscosities.
* Subtypes:
* Bubble Column Bioreactor: A tall, cylindrical vessel where gas is sparged from
the bottom, creating rising bubbles that drive liquid circulation. Simple design.
* Airlift Bioreactor: Similar to a bubble column but includes an internal or exter-
nal draft tube. Gas is introduced into one section (riser), causing the liquid to rise,
while liquid flows down in the other section (downcomer), creating a defined circula-
tion pattern. This enhances mixing and gas-liquid contact.
* Applications: Cultivation of plant and animal cells, wastewater treatment, pro-
duction of certain enzymes, antibiotics, and single-cell protein.
III. Based on Cell State/Immobilization:
This classification considers whether the cells are free-floating or attached to a sup-
port matrix.
1. Suspension Culture Bioreactors (Free Cells):
* Description: The cells are freely suspended in the liquid culture medium. This is
the most common approach for microbial fermentations.
* Characteristics:
* High growth rates and high volumetric productivity.
* Relatively easy to scale up.
* Requires careful control of shear forces for delicate cells.
* Examples: All the bioreactors mentioned above (STR, bubble column, airlift) can
operate in suspension culture mode.
2. Immobilized Cell Bioreactors:
* Description: Cells are confined or entrapped within a support matrix (e.g., algi-
nate beads, porous carriers, membranes) while allowing the nutrient medium to flow
around them.
* Characteristics:
* High cell density, leading to high volumetric productivity.
* Increased cell stability and viability.
* Easier separation of cells from the product.
* Reduced washout of cells in continuous systems.
* Can be more complex to set up and scale.
* Subtypes:
* Packed Bed Bioreactor: A column packed with inert support material on which
cells are immobilized. The medium flows through the packed bed.
* Characteristics: Simple design, low shear, good for continuous operation. Can
suffer from channeling and pressure drop.
* Applications: Production of organic acids, enzymes, wastewater treatment.
 * Fluidized Bed Bioreactor (FBR): Similar to packed bed, but the fluid flow is
high enough to suspend the immobilized particles, creating a "fluidized" state.
* Characteristics: Better mixing and mass transfer than packed beds, reduced
channeling and clogging.
* Applications: Biological wastewater treatment, biotransformations, enzyme
production.
* Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): Uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate
cells from the product stream or to provide oxygen. Cells can be retained while metab-
olites pass through.
* Characteristics: High cell density, precise control over separation, sterile oper-
ation.
* Applications: Biopharmaceutical production, wastewater treatment, perfusion
cultures for sensitive animal cells.
* Fibrous Bed Bioreactor: Cells are immobilized on fibrous materials (e.g., cot-
ton, polyester) providing a large surface area for cell attachment.
IV. Based on Organism Type/Application:
This classification categorizes bioreactors based on the specific type of organism being
cultivated or the primary application.
1. Microbial Bioreactors (Fermenters):
* Description: Specifically designed for the growth of bacteria, yeast, and fungi for
the production of various microbial products (antibiotics, enzymes, organic acids, etc.).
Often synonymous with "fermenter."
* Characteristics: Typically robust, capable of handling high cell densities and
strong mixing.
* Examples: Stirred tank bioreactors, bubble columns, airlift bioreactors.
2. Animal Cell Bioreactors:
* Description: Designed for the cultivation of delicate animal cells, which are typi-
cally shear-sensitive and have lower growth rates.
* Characteristics: Emphasize low shear environments, precise temperature and pH
control, and often perfusion systems for continuous nutrient supply and waste re-
moval.
* Examples: Stirred tank bioreactors with specialized impellers (e.g., marine blade),
airlift bioreactors, hollow fiber membrane bioreactors, wave bioreactors.
3. Plant Cell Bioreactors:
* Description: Used for cultivating plant cells in suspension or immobilized forms to
produce secondary metabolites or other plant-derived compounds.
* Characteristics: Require gentle mixing, specific light conditions (for photosyn-
thetic cells), and often specialized nutrient media.
* Examples: Airlift bioreactors, bubble column bioreactors, wave bioreactors,
packed bed bioreactors.
4. Photobioreactors (PBRs):
* Description: Specifically designed to grow phototrophic organisms like algae,
cyanobacteria, or moss plants, which require light for photosynthesis.
* Characteristics: Incorporate a light source (natural or artificial), designed for effi-
cient light penetration, gas exchange (CO2 supply), and temperature control.
* Types: Flat-plate PBRs, tubular PBRs, column PBRs.
* Applications: Production of biofuels (algae), high-value compounds (e.g., pig-
ments, omega-3 fatty acids), CO2 sequestration.
V. Other Classifications:
* Based on Size: Laboratory scale, pilot scale, industrial scale.
* Based on Material of Construction: Glass, stainless steel, disposable (single-
use) bioreactors.
* Based on Sterilization Method: In-situ sterilizable, autoclave sterilizable.
* Based on Aerobic/Anaerobic:
* Aerobic Bioreactors: Require oxygen supply (e.g., most STRs, bubble columns,
airlift).
 * Anaerobic Bioreactors: Operate in the absence of oxygen (e.g., Upflow Anaero-
bic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors for wastewater treatment, fermenters for ethanol

production).

Here's a deep dive into the different designs of bioreactors:

1. Stirred Tank Bioreactors (STRs)
* Description: The most common type, featuring mechanical agitators (impellers) for
mixing and gas dispersion. Air or oxygen is sparged through a ring sparger at the bot-
tom.
* Types:
* Mechanically Stirred Tank Bioreactor: Uses impellers (e.g., Rushton turbines,
marine propellers) for agitation.
* Orbital Shaker Bioreactor: Smaller scale, often used in labs, where the entire
vessel is agitated on an orbital shaker.
* Applications: Large-scale production of biomass, microbial metabolites, and re-
combinant proteins from robust microbial cultures.
2. Pneumatically Agitated Bioreactors
 * Description: Relies on gas bubbles for mixing and aeration, eliminating mechanical
agitators.
* Types:
* Bubble Column Bioreactor: A tall, cylindrical vessel with gas sparged from the
bottom.
* Airlift Bioreactor: Includes an internal or external draft tube for enhanced mixing
and gas-liquid contact.
* Applications: Cultivation of plant and animal cells, wastewater treatment, and pro-
duction of specific enzymes, antibiotics, and single-cell protein.
3. Immobilized Cell Bioreactors
* Description: Cells are confined within a support matrix while allowing nutrient
medium to flow around them.
* Types:
* Packed Bed Bioreactor: A column packed with inert material for cell immobiliza-
tion.
* Fluidized Bed Bioreactor (FBR): Similar to packed bed, but with a higher fluid
flow to suspend particles.
* Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): Uses a semi-permeable membrane for cell sepa-
ration or oxygen provision.
* Fibrous Bed Bioreactor: Cells are immobilized on fibrous materials.
4. Photobioreactors (PBRs)
* Description: Designed for phototrophic organisms (e.g., algae) that require light
for photosynthesis.
* Types: Flat-plate PBRs, tubular PBRs, and column PBRs.
* Applications: Production of biofuels and high-value compounds, and CO2 seques-
tration.
5. Other Designs
* Loop Bioreactors: Promote circulation using pumps or impellers, often used for
high-density cultures.
* Hollow Fiber Bioreactors: Use hollow fibers to provide a large surface area for
cell growth and nutrient exchange.
* Wave Bioreactors: Utilize a rocking motion to mix the culture, suitable for shear-
sensitive cells.
* Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs): Used primarily for wastewater treat-
ment, featuring rotating discs that support microbial growth.
* Trickle Bed Bioreactors: The liquid phase trickles down over a packed bed of im-
mobilized cells.
* Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) Reactors: Used for anaerobic waste-
water treatment.
* Chemostats and Turbidostats: Continuous bioreactors that maintain a steady-
state environment.
* Perfusion Bioreactors: Continuously remove waste products and replenish nutri-
ents, often used for animal cell cultures.
* Single-Use Bioreactors: Disposable bioreactors, reducing the need for steriliza-
tion.
* 3D Bioreactors: Designed to mimic in vivo conditions, often used in tissue engi-
neering.
* Microbioreactors: Small-scale bioreactors for high-throughput screening and
process development.
* Bioreactors with integrated sensors and controls: Allow for real-time monitor-
ing and adjustment of process parameters.
* Bioreactors for specific applications: Such as those designed for stem cell cul-
ture, enzyme production, or secondary metabolite production.