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Biotechnology @ CTO
Biotechnology Laboratory
Building on our long-lasting experience and knowledge in the field of high-pressure chemistry we expanded our research activities into biotechnology at elevated pressures. We operate three reactor systems, a Büchi CSTR and two high throughput systems (simultaneous bioreactor system – SBRS), specially designed to work with microorganisms. Using this equipment, we were able to test the methanogens under Enceladus-like (Saturn moon) conditions and proof that these strains can survive in this harsh condition. Our findings were published in an article in Nature Communications as “Biological methane production under putative Enceladus-like conditions”.
- Microorganisms: Archaea (anaerobic)
- Methanisation
- Closed-batch or fed-batch mode
- Pressures up to 90 bar und temperatures up to 250°C
Characerization
- Optical density (UV)
- Methane concentration (GC-WLD)
- Biomass determination (centrifuge)
Equipement
2 L Büchi Reactor
- For closed / fed-batch or continuous reactions of biological systems
- Pressure: up to 100 bar
- Temperature: up to 250°C
- Volume: 2 l
- Heating/Cooling jacket
Equipped with:
- HPLC-pump for liquid dosing
- Stirrer
- Massflow controller / Cori-Flow
- Sparger system
- Offgas flow meter
- Online Offgas CH4 measurement
- Liquid recirculation system
Simultaneous Bioreactor System Gen. 2 (SBRS-II)
- For closed batch experiments
- 4 identical stainless-steel reactors with PTFE liner
- Volume: 4 x 350 mL
- Each reactor operates independently cia a predefined pressure control program
- Live temperature an pH monitoring
- Pressure data saved on SD card for post-processing
- Capable of gas and liquid sampling
- Operating range (with pH probe): 0 - 17 bar(a) and 135 °C
Simultaneous Bioreactor System Gen. 1 (SBRS-I)
- For closed batch experiments
- 4 identical reactors
- Pressure: up to 50 bar
- Temperature: up to 150°C
- Volume: 4 x 160 mL
- Mounted on a lab shaker (no stirrer!)
- Online pressure and temperature monitoring
Centrifuge
- Heraeus Instruments
- Megafuge 1.0 R
- Maximum speed: 3.500 rpm
Gas composition
- Thermo Electron Cooperation, GC-WLD
- Trace GC Ultra
- Methane concentration
- Only for gas analytic!
- Column: CarboxenTM-1000, Carbosieve - packed
- Carrier gas: He
- Maximum temperature: 225°C
Autoclave
- Systec, Model: DX-45
- Programs for: fluids, waste or solid
- Temperatures up to 134°C for sterilization
20 L Home-Brew kettle
- Brewmaster
- Volume: up to 20 L
- Grain mill (with variable clearance)
- Integrated filtration unit
- Anylytics: sugar content, alcohol content (ABV), hops (GC-/HPLC-MS)
