Microbioreactor Array System

What is the Microbioreactor Array System?

A microbioreactor array system cultivates many microlitre to millilitre cultures in parallel with individual control of some parameters. It provides the earliest and most material-efficient screening stage before larger vessels are used.

Overview

A microbioreactor array system runs dozens of tiny cultures, often in multi-well plates or cassette formats, with compact sensors and gas control. Each well or cassette can have its own pH, dissolved oxygen or feed control, or share temperature and gas where full independence is not needed. Mixing comes from orbital shaking or small impellers, and optical sensors read pH and dissolved oxygen through the transparent base. Because volumes are microlitres to a few millilitres, the system uses very little medium and inoculum, which suits screening rare clones, testing many media or developing design of experiments designs. Data handling software compares growth curves and metabolite profiles across the array. The main limitations are limited sampling, lower oxygen transfer and control that is less precise than in benchtop vessels.

How does it work?

A parallel bioreactor system provides several small cultivation compartments, each with its own or multiplexed control of temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, gas flow and feeding. Because each vessel follows a separate recipe, one experiment can compare many conditions under otherwise identical handling, which improves statistical power and reduces material and time per data point. Mixing and gas exchange are achieved by miniature impellers, shaking or gas-driven flow, depending on the format, and small volumes reduce medium, inoculum and reagent consumption. Shared software coordinates calibration, start and sampling and presents overlay plots for direct comparison. The main technical challenges are keeping control and hardware identical across vessels, avoiding cross-contamination and ensuring that results transfer to larger scale.

What are the key features?

• Dozens of parallel micro-cultures
• Individual pH and dissolved oxygen control in some wells
• Optical sensors read through the base
• Very low medium and inoculum consumption
• Array software with growth curve comparison

What are the technical specifications?

A typical microbioreactor array system configuration offers culture volume of 0.1–5 mL per well, parallel cultures of 24–96, mixing of Orbital shaking or micro-impeller, pH control of Individual in controlled formats, dissolved oxygen control of Individual in controlled formats and temperature range of Ambient +5 to 50 °C. 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 Microbioreactor Array System is used in clone and strain screening, media and feed development, design of experiments studies and early cell line development. Across the wider Parallel Bioreactors class, laboratories also deploy it for strain and clone screening, design of experiments studies and media and feed optimization.

Which standards and certifications apply?

Relevant standards and methods include ISO 9001, ISO 13485, 21 CFR Part 11, EU GMP Annex 11, ICH Q11, USP <87>, USP <88> and IEC 61010-1. Certification candidates for this model are CE, ISO 9001 manufacturing and ISO 13485 manufacturing; each is to be confirmed for the specific configuration before shipment, and certificates are supplied only where they have been issued.

Standardize inoculation density, probe calibration and medium preparation across all vessels, because small differences become large when results are compared. Calibrate pH and dissolved oxygen probes as a batch and verify temperature uniformity before a comparative run. Keep the vessels and headplates clean and traceable to their positions to avoid cross-contamination. Record which recipe and vessel were used for each result, and keep a batch log linking conditions to outcomes. Because miniature sensors and small volumes can drift or evaporate, monitor evaporation and correct data accordingly. For regulated work, treat the system as measuring equipment with defined qualification and calibration intervals.

How do I select the right Microbioreactor Array System?

Choose a microbioreactor array for the earliest screening stage where material is limited and many conditions must be compared. In an RFQ specify well volume and number, control per well, mixing and gas control, sensing method and data comparison features.

How does it compare with other Parallel Bioreactors variants?

Choose the format from the number of conditions and the level of control required. Microbioreactor arrays suit early screening of many conditions with limited material, mini-bioreactors add real pH and dissolved oxygen control for deeper study, and bench-scale parallel vessels reproduce larger bioreactors closely for scale-down and process characterization. Confirm that each vessel has genuinely independent control, because shared gas or temperature systems can couple the experiments. Check working volume, agitation and aeration capability, the number of feed and sampling ports and whether automated sampling or dosing is available. Review the software for recipe management, overlay comparison, data export and, for regulated work, audit trails. Finally, confirm how results and parameters transfer to a single larger bioreactor.