Monday, November 4, 2013
Capri Ballroom (Marriott Marco Island)
Biotechnological processes demand a deep comprehension of a variety of complex biochemical and physico-chemical parameters. Here, monitoring and controlling these dynamic ranges of variables play the key role to cost-effective and environmental friendly production. Beside the characteristics like pH value and substrate feed, the supplied oxygen in aerobic processes is of high importance. Cell vitality, growth and metabolic activity are directly linked to the intake of oxygen during the process. The Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR) describing the influx from microorganisms to assimilate oxygen from the liquid phase hereby is of main interest. This characteristic number is highly influenced by other process parameters. For instance changing flow rates and inlet-gas concentrations as well as varying agitation speed affect the OUR. Due to this complicated general set-ups the calculation of this parameter can be misleading and data will be interpreted wrongly. Another drawback for misinterpretation is the residence time caused by fermenter headspace and the resulting dilution effects of transferred oxygen from the liquid to gas phase. We will take these obstacles into account and will show a more accurate and process data based software for reliable and reproducible OUR calculation using new computational models linked with state of the art in-situ online O2/CO2 gas analyzer devices.