Benchtop Glass Stirred-Tank Bioreactor

What is the Benchtop Glass Stirred-Tank Bioreactor?

A benchtop glass stirred-tank bioreactor is a transparent vessel with an impeller, probes and gas supply for small-scale cultivation. It is the standard development tool for cell culture and microbial fermentation studies.

Overview

A benchtop glass stirred-tank bioreactor holds 0.5 to 10 litres in a borosilicate vessel with a detachable headplate. The headplate carries a directly driven or magnetic impeller, a sparger for gas, a condenser and exhaust filter, ports for pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature probes, acid and base lines, antifoam and feed, and a sampling line. Temperature is controlled by a water jacket, a heating blanket on the vessel support or a water bath, and gas flow, oxygen fraction and agitation are adjusted by cascade control to meet oxygen demand. The transparent body lets operators watch mixing, foam and biomass, which speeds troubleshooting. Vessels and headplates are usually autoclaved, and spare components allow quick changes between experiments and parallel runs.

How does it work?

A glass bioreactor uses a transparent vessel so that mixing, foam, color and biomass can be observed directly during culture. Borosilicate glass resists thermal shock and most cleaning agents, and a detachable headplate carries the agitator, sparger, probes and ports. Temperature is controlled by a water jacket, a heating blanket or a water bath, pH is adjusted by dosing acid, base or carbon dioxide, and dissolved oxygen is held by adjusting gas flow, oxygen fraction or agitation speed. Mixing may be by impeller, by gas-driven circulation in airlift or bubble column designs, or by gentle rocking for sensitive cells. Glass vessels are usually sterilized in an autoclave, which limits their practical size, but they allow rapid changes of impeller, sparger and sensor configuration between experiments.

What are the key features?

• Transparent borosilicate vessel with detachable headplate
• Direct or magnetic drive impeller
• Hardware for pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature control
• Gas sparging with oxygen enrichment option
• Autoclavable assembly with spare parts

What are the technical specifications?

A typical benchtop glass stirred-tank bioreactor configuration offers working volume of 0.5–10 L, vessel material of Borosilicate glass 3.3, temperature range of Ambient +5 to 60 °C, ±0.2 °C, pH control of 2–12, ±0.05, dissolved oxygen control of 0–100% with air or O2 enrichment and agitation of 50–1,200 rpm. Values are indicative of the product class; the exact figures for each configuration are confirmed on the quotation and the calibration documents supplied with the instrument.

Which applications is it used for?

The Benchtop Glass Stirred-Tank Bioreactor is used in cell culture process development, microbial fermentation studies, scale-down modelling and teaching and research. Across the wider Glass Bioreactors class, laboratories also deploy it for process development and scale-down models, cell culture optimization and microbial fermentation studies.

Which standards and certifications apply?

Relevant standards and methods include ISO 9001, USP <87>, USP <88>, IEC 61010-1, ISO 11133 and GB/T 150. Certification candidates for this model are CE, ISO 9001 manufacturing and IEC 61010-1 compliance; each is to be confirmed for the specific configuration before shipment, and certificates are supplied only where they have been issued.

Inspect glass for chips or cracks before each run, because even a small flaw can fail under autoclaving or pressure. Assemble the headplate carefully so that probes do not touch the impeller, and check that all ports are sealed. Calibrate pH and dissolved oxygen probes before sterilization and confirm they survive the cycle. Use a protective shield or cabinet where pressure or a fragile vessel could present a hazard. Clean glass promptly to avoid baked-on residue, and avoid strong alkalis that etch the surface over time. Replace gaskets and O-rings on a schedule, and keep a log of sterilization cycles for each vessel and headplate.

How do I select the right Benchtop Glass Stirred-Tank Bioreactor?

Choose a glass stirred tank for flexible small-scale cultivation where observation is useful. In an RFQ specify working volume, vessel and headplate configuration, drive type, impeller options, control loops and ranges, gas handling and probe types.

How does it compare with other Glass Bioreactors variants?

Choose a glass bioreactor when you need to see the culture, change configuration quickly or work at small volumes. Select the mixing principle from the cell type and oxygen demand: stirred designs give flexible power input, airlift and bubble columns suit shear-sensitive cultures, packed-bed designs suit adherent cells on carriers, and photobioreactors suit photosynthetic organisms. Confirm the working volume and headspace, the number and type of ports, and whether the headplate can accommodate the probes and feeds you need. Check the temperature control method, since a water jacket gives more uniform heating than a blanket, and confirm how the vessel is sterilized. Verify that materials and connectors suit autoclaving and that spare headplates and vessels allow parallel or rapid sequential experiments.