What the study found
The study found that automating the acid/base dosing step improved the reproducibility of mixing-time experiments in stirred single-use bioreactors. The authors report that the automated setup also worked comparably in glass bioreactors under non-aerated conditions.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that this low-cost, plug-and-play approach may help improve reproducibility in mixing-time experiments. They say this could facilitate bioreactor characterization, technology transfer, and validation of computational fluid dynamics models.
What the researchers tested
The researchers developed a compact linear actuator to standardize reagent addition in colorimetric pH-shift assays, which are used to measure mixing time in bioreactors. The device was designed with computer-aided design software, made by 3D printing, and integrated into mixing-time experiments in both stirred single-use and glass bioreactors.
What worked and what didn't
With automated experiments, neither mixing time nor replicate variance increased in the single-use bioreactor relative to the glass bioreactor under non-aerated conditions. The coefficient of variation was reduced by 13.6%, and the injection profiles were more consistent in immersion depth, immersion angle, tracer volume, and injection speed. The abstract does not report specific failures beyond the operator-dependent variability of manual reagent addition.
What to keep in mind
The abstract notes that manual reagent addition can limit comparability because of operator-dependent variability. The reported comparison is for non-aerated conditions, and the abstract does not describe other operating conditions or additional limitations.
Key points
- Automating acid/base dosing improved reproducibility in mixing-time experiments.
- The linear actuator was compatible with stirred single-use bioreactors and glass bioreactors.
- In automated runs, mixing time and replicate variance did not increase in the single-use bioreactor versus the glass bioreactor under non-aerated conditions.
- The coefficient of variation decreased by 13.6% with the automated setup.
- More consistent injection profiles were reported for immersion depth, immersion angle, tracer volume, and injection speed.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Automated dosing improved reproducibility in mixing-time experiments
- Authors:
- Isabelle Barth, Christian Holbeck, Charlotte Capitain, Tanja Schirmeister, Percy Kampeis
- Institutions:
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Trier University of Applied Sciences, Trier University of Applied Sciences, Trier University of Applied Sciences, Trier University of Applied Sciences
- Publication date:
- 2026-06-29
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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