2019: LAMBDA MINIFOR bioreactor used in turbidostat experiments with recombinant cells in continuous culture operation mode

L. Pasotti, M. Bellato, N. Politi, M. Casanova, S. Zucca, M. Gabriella Cusella De Angelis, P. Magni “A synthetic close-loop controller circuit for the regulation of an extracellular molecule by engineered bacteria”, IEEE Trans Biomed Circuits Syst. 2019 Feb; 13(1):248-258Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Centre for Health Technologies, University of Pavia, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia.

Keywords: Biological system modelling, feedback circuits, in vivo, synthetic biology, systems biology.

2019: Aerobical production of itaconic acid under batch conditions with the LAMBDA MINIFOR bioreactor

P. Komáromy, P. Bakonyi, A. Kucska, G. Tóth, L. Gubicza, K. Bélafi-Bakó, N. Nemestóthy. “Optimized pH and Its Control Strategy Lead to Enhanced Itaconic Acid Fermentation by Aspergillus terreus on Glucose Substrate” Fermentation 2019, 5(2), 31

Research Institute on Bioengineering, Membrane Technology and Energetics, University of Pannonia.

Keywords: itaconic acid; A. terreus; pH control; glucose; kinetic analysis; Gompertz-model

2018: A large-scale pro-siRNA production method was developed in a LAMBDA MINIFOR bioreactor for high yield production of pro-siRNA

G. Kaur, H‐C. Cheung, W. Xu, J.V. Wong, F.F. Chan, Y. Li, L. McReynolds, L. Huang “Milligram scale production of potent recombinant small interfering RNAs in Escherichia coli”, Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 2018;1–12.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, Biotechnology and Health Centre, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China, Division of RNA Biology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts.

Keywords: fermentation, pro‐siRNA, RNA interference (RNAi), RNAi therapeutics, small interfering RNA (siRNA)

2018: MINIFOR lab scale bioreactor used for production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic biodegradable municipal solid waste (BMSW) under optimized conditions

Hayder, Nadhim H., Hussain M. Flayeh, and Ali W. Ahmed. "Optimization of Bioethanol Production from Biodegradable Municipal Solid Waste using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)." Journal of Engineering and Sustainable Development Vol 22, no. 01 (2018).

Baghdad University, Biotechnology Department and  Environmental Engineering Department, Baghdad, Iraq.

Keywords:  Biodegradable municipal solid waste; Bioethanol; Fermentation; Bioreactor

2017: Study of the metabolism of isolated lamb’s lettuce cells (Valerianella locusta (L). Laterr.) upon sugar starvation under O2 stress conditions using 13C labeled glucose:

V. B .Mfortaw Mbong, J. Ampofo-Asiama, M. Hertog, A. Geeraerd, B. Nicolai Metabolic profiling reveals a coordinated response of isolated lamb's (Valerianella locusta, L.) lettuce cells to sugar starvation and low oxygen stress (2017)

KU Leuven, Division of Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors (MeBioS), Department of Biosystems (BIOSYST) and Flanders Centre of Postharvest Technology (VCBT), Leuven, Belgium

Keywords: lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta L.) cells, sugar starvation,
low O2 stress,
metabolic response, metabolite profiling, 13C labeling

2017: Efficient ethanol production from whey permeate (WP) and concentrated permeate (CWP) with engineered E. coli in pH-controlled bioreactor MINIFOR

Pasotti, Lorenzo, Susanna Zucca, Michela Casanova, Giuseppina Micoli, Maria Gabriella Cusella De Angelis, and Paolo Magni. "Fermentation of lactose to ethanol in cheese whey permeate and concentrated permeate by engineered Escherichia coli." BMC biotechnology 17, no. 1 (2017): 48.

University of Pavia, Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Mathematical Modelling and Synthetic Biology, Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, Pavia, Italy; University of Pavia, Centre for Health Technologies, Pavia, Italy.
Keywords: Ethanol; Lactose; Fermentation; Escherichia coli; Whey permeate

2017: LAMBDA MINIFOR fermenters used as continuous anaerobic flow stirred digesters (CSTR) for anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste

M. Nakasima-López, P. Taboada-González, Q. Aguilar-Virgen, N. Velázquez-Limón “Inoculum Adaptation During Start-up of Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Solid Waste” Información Tecnológica Vol. 28(1), 199-208 (2017), doi: 10.4067/S0718-0764201700010002 Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Tijuana, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Instituto de Ingeniería, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.

Keywords: biogas; CSTR; anaerobic digestion; inoculums; start up

2017: The effect of different temperatures on sugar starvation in cells isolated from fresh leafy vegetables was studied in MINIFOR bioreactor

Mbong, Victor Baiye Mfortaw, Jerry Ampofo-Asiama, Maarten LATM Hertog, Annemie H. Geeraerd, and Bart M. Nicolai. "The effect of temperature on the metabolic response of lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta,(L), Laterr.) cells to sugar starvation." Postharvest Biology and Technology 125 (2017): 1-12.

KU Leuven, Division of Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors (MeBioS), Department of Biosystems (BIOSYST), Leuven, Belgium; Flanders Centre of Postharvest Technology (VCBT), Leuven, Belgium.

Keywords: Isolated lamb’s lettuce cells; Sugar starvation; Temperature; Metabolome; ¹³C label

2017: LAMBDA MINIFOR bioreactor for the production of CB.Hep-1 mAb using mouse hybridoma cell culture in protein-free media
Valdés R, Aragón H, González M, Hernández D, Geada D, Goitizolo D et al. Mouse hybridoma cell culture in a protein-free medium using a bio-mimicking fish-tail disc stirred bioreactor. BioProcess J, 2017; 16(1): 51–64.
CIGB, Havana, Cuba.

2016: Robust cellulosic ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse with Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 20602 in LAMBDA MINIFOR laboratory bioreactor under aerobic and anaerobic conditions with controlled redox potential measurement

Jabasingh, S. Anuradha, et al. "Catalytic conversion of sugarcane bagasse to cellulosic ethanol: TiO2 coupled nanocellulose as an effective hydrolysis enhancer." Carbohydrate polymers 136 (2016): 700-709.

Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, Ethiopia; Sathyabama University, India.

Keywords: Cellulosic ethanol; bagasse; Titanium dioxide; Nanocellulose; Cellulase Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2015: S. pyogenes Cas9 protein expressed using a 3L computer-controlled MINIFOR bioreactor in batch medium followed by exponential feeding

Ménoret, Séverine, et al. "Homology-directed repair in rodent zygotes using Cas9 and TALEN engineered proteins." Scientific reports 5 (2015): 14410.

INSERM UMR 1064-ITUN; CNRS UMS3556 Nantes; CNRS UMR7196; Sorbonne Universities; University Pierre & Marie Curie; France.

2015: Fermentation of engineered microorganism in laboratory scale bioreactor MINIFOR for efficient conversion of lactose-to-ethanol

Pasotti, Lorenzo, et al. "Methods for genetic optimization of biocatalysts for biofuel production from dairy waste through synthetic biology." Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2015 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE. IEEE, 2015.
University of Pavia, Department of Electrical, Computer & Biomedical Engineering and Interdepartmental Research Centre for Tissue Engineering, Italy

Keywords: lactose-to-ethanol conversion; microorganism optimization; synthetic biology; whey protein; permeate; pollutant waste disposal; genetic optimization; green energy production; biofuel production; cheese production process; dairy waste; biocatalyst

2015: Six-species flow cell biofilm model was developed by culturing bacteria in LAMBDA MINIFOR Bioreactor to evaluate the biofilm development under flow and shear conditions

Salli, Krista M., and Arthur C. Ouwehand. "The use of in vitro model systems to study dental biofilms associated with caries: a short review." Journal of oral microbiology 7 (2015).
DuPont Nutrition and Health, Kantvik Active Nutrition, Finland.
Keywords: dental caries, batch culture, continuous culture, artificial mouth, flow cell, microcosm 

2015: Quantification of ribosomal proteins (RPs) from Yeast cells cultured in MINIFOR bioreactor and mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to study the core RPs stoichiometry
Slavov, Nikolai, et al. "Differential stoichiometry among core ribosomal proteins." Cell reports 13.5 (2015): 865-873.
Harvard University, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, USA and Hubrecht Institute, Netherlands.
Keywords: Budding Yeast cells, Embryonic stem cells (ESC), Ribosomal Protein, RP, ribosomes, mRNA, mass-spectrometry, posttranslational modification, PTM

2014: Cultivation of microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris Beyerinck) in laboratory bioreactor MINIFOR
Heitur, Heiko. Mikrovetika Chlorella vulgaris Beyerincki kasvatamine CO2 sidumise eesmärgil. Diss. 2014.
Eesti Maaülikool (Estonian University of Life Sciences), Estonia.
Keywords: CO₂, microalgae, growth rate, photobioreactor

2014: Growing yeast cultures (DBY12007) in the MINIFOR fermenter at steady state to study the aerobic glycolysis and energy flux
Slavov, Nikolai, et al. "Constant growth rate can be supported by decreasing energy flux and increasing aerobic glycolysis." Cell reports 7.3 (2014): 705-714.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA; Harvard University, USA; Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands and Princeton University, USA.
Keywords: Yeast, aerobic glycolysis, exponential growth, O2 consumption, CO2 production, amino acids, mRNAs, proteins, posttranslational modifications, stress sensitivity, respiratory quotient (RQ)

2014: Selective and non-selective batch fermentation of date extract using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commercial strain used in bakeries (wild strain), glucose selective strains ATCC 36858 and ATCC 36859) studied in LAMBDA MINIFOR fermentor
Putra, Meilana Dharma, et al. "Selective fermentation of pitted dates by S. cerevisiae for the production of concentrated fructose syrups and ethanol." Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Vol. 495. No. 1. IOP Publishing, 2014.
King Saud University, Chemical Engineering Department, Saudi Arabia 
Keywords: Selective, non-selective, fermentation, yeast, S. cerevisiae, fructose, ethanol, date, HPLC, kinetic profile, batch

2014: The metabolic stress response of tomato cell culture (Lycopersicum esculentum) to low oxygen studied using LAMBDA MINIFOR Bioreactor
Ampofo‐Asiama, Jerry, et al. "The metabolic response of cultured tomato cells to low oxygen stress." Plant Biology 16.3 (2014): 594-606.
KU Leuven, Belgium; Flanders Centre of Postharvest Technology (VCBT), Leuven, Belgium;
Keywords: 3C label; cell culture; low O2 stress; Lycopersicum esculentum; metabolome

2014: LAMBDA MINIFOR bioreactor to grow the oral bacteria (Streptococcus oralis, Actinomyces naeslundii, Veillonella parvula, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis) under planktonic conditions
Blanc, V., et al. "Characterization and application of a flow system for in vitro multispecies oral biofilm formation." Journal of periodontal research 49.3 (2014): 323-332.
DENTAID S. L., Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; ETEP Research Group, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain;
Keywords: biofilm model; chlorhexidine; confocal laser scanning microscopy; oral bacteria

2013: Recombinant expression of the Met-CCL5, protease resistant CXCL12 (S4V) and F1-CX3CL1 in E. coli using MINIFOR fermenter/bioreactor to study their role in Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
Projahn, Delia, and Christian Weber. Generation, function and therapeutic application of chemotactic cytokines in cardiovascular diseases. Diss. Hochschulbibliothek der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen, 2013.
RWTH Aachen, Germany.

2013: Expression of Caf1 protein using Escherichia coli strain in MINIFOR fermentor to study mammalian cell adhesion, shape and number of focal adhesion
Machado Roque, Ana Isabel. "Protein scaffolds for cell culture." (2013).
Newcastle University, UK.

2013: LAMBDA MINIFOR Bioreactor used for recombinant protein (Chemokines) expression in E. coli
Kramp, Birgit, and Robert Ryan Koenen. Establishing the interaction between the CC chemokine ligand 5 and the receptors CCR1 and CCR. Diss. Hochschulbibliothek der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen, 2013.
RWTH Aachen, Germany.

2013: Systems for High-Density Hybridoma Growth and High-yield mAb production in cell culture: Bench-top stirred tank bioreactors, 1-5 L (MINIFOR - LAMBDA Laboratory Instruments)
Kase, Matthew R., ed. Making and using antibodies: a practical handbook. CRC press, 2013.

2013: Controlled growth of Staphylococcus aureus under various concentrations of BAC (benzalkonium chloride) in MINIFOR fermentor
Cervinkova, Dana, et al. "The role of the qacA gene in mediating resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds." Microbial Drug Resistance 19.3 (2013): 160-167.
Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic.
Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, benzalkonium chloride (BAC), exponential phase, expression, real-time PCR, culture, concentration

2012: Effective production of Biobutanol from agricultural waste (giant hogweed, hay) using MINIFOR bench-top laboratory fermenter
Mezule, L., et al. "Biobutanol production from agricultural waste: A simple approach for pre-treatment and hydrolysis." Latvian Journal of Chemistry 51.4 (2012): 407-414.
Riga Technical University, Latvia 
Keywords: biofuel, biobutanol, agricultural waste, hydrolysis

2012: MINIFOR Bioreactor for stem cells
Shayan, Niloufar, et al. "A non-rotational, computer-controlled suspension bioreactor for expansion of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells." Biotechnology letters 34.11 (2012): 2125-2131.
Department of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Royan Cord Blood Bank, Tehran, Iran; Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran 
Keywords: Static culture; Suspension bioreactor; Umbilical cord blood; Vertical mixing

2011: Bioethanol production using Yeast (S. cerevisiae) in LAMBDA MINIFOR fermenter
Burešová, Iva, and Luděk Hřivna. "Effect of wheat gluten proteins on bioethanol yield from grain." Applied Energy 88.4 (2011): 1205-1210.
Agrotest Fyto, Ltd., Kroměříž, Czech Republic; Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic 
Keywords: Bioethanol; Triticale; Wheat; Gluten; Protein

2010: Anaerobic fermentation of the glucose component in dates extract by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Gaily, Mohamed H., et al. "A Direct Process for the Production of High Fructose Syrups from Dates Extracts." International Journal of Food Engineering 6.3 (2010): 12.
King Saud University, Saudi Arabia; University of Khartoum, Sudan 
Keywords: dates, fructose, glucose, ethanol, fermentation, S. Cerevisiae, yeast, mesophilic, batch

2010: Study of the potential of tree tobacco stems (Nicotiana Glauca r. Grah.) as a bioethanol feedstock with the LAMBDA MINIFOR fermenter

F. Sánchez, M.D. Curt, M. Barreiro, J. Fernández, J.M. Agüera, M. Uceda, G. Zaragoza Tree tobacco (Nicotiana Glauca r. Grah.) Stems as a bioethanol feedstock (2010)

Dpt. Producción Vegetal: Botánica y Protección Vegetal. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain

Keywords: bioethanol, calorific value, fermentation, fibre, nicotiana, sugar crops

2009: Determination of the alcoholigenous potential of non-cellulosic carbohydrates from prickly pear cladodes by fermentation with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commercial strains)

F. Sánchez, M.D. Curt, J. Fernández, J.M. Agüera, M. Uceda, G. Zaragoza Bioethanol production from prickly pear (Opuntia Ficus-Indica (L) Mill.) cladodes (2009)

Dpt. Producción Vegetal: Botánica y Protección Vegetal. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain

Keywords: bioethanol, fermentation, hydrolysis, sugar crops 

2007: Anaerobic expression using the LAMBDA MINIFOR
Park, Myong-Ok, Taeko Mizutani, and Patrik R. Jones. "Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ferredoxin oxidoreductase from Methanococcus maripaludis." Journal of bacteriology 189.20 (2007): 7281-7289.
Research and Development Division, Fujirebio Incorporated, Japan.

2005: pH and temperature continuously recorded with the LAMBDA MINIFOR and SIAM software
Chaignon, Philippe, et al. "Photochemical reactivity of trifluoromethyl aromatic amines: the example of 3, 5-diamino-trifluoromethyl-benzene (3, 5-DABTF)." Photochemistry and photobiology 81.6 (2005): 1539-1543.
Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, C.N.R.S, France.

2003: Bioreactors - An overview of the innovations implemented in MINIFOR bioreactors

Lehky, P. 2003. Bioreactors - New Solutions for Old Problems. International Congress on Bioreactor Technology, Tampere, Finland.

Keywords: bioreactor, fermentor, cell culture, DO probe, gas flow-rate, gas station.

Do you sell/ship to the USA?

Yes, we do supply our instruments directly with door-to-door delivery option by the parcel services to the USA.

What is the availability of the product?

We have the instruments in stock. We would just have to configure the instruments according to your requirements and perform quality control before shipping. 

 Is there a warranty?

We offer a 2 year warranty for MINIFOR fermentor / bioreactor and 5 year warranty for the PRECIFLOW & MULTIFLOW peristaltic pumps.

Does this fermentor work on both mammalian cells and yeast cells?

Yes, MINIFOR fermentor and bioreactor can be used for mammalian and yeast cell cultures (More information at www.fermentor.net/applications).

Is there flexibility in the top plate to add or remove probes?

Yes, MINIFOR has free ports in the headspace for the additional probes (sensors). Multiple ports and other effective solutions in the fermentation glass vess make the MINIFOR configuration equivalent to 16 to 22 classical ports (it is possible to increase the number of ports – custom made solution)

Is the equipment suitable for use in pure / mixed culture?

Yes, MINIFOR is suitable for pure as well as mixed culture. The stirrer is strong and can easily be adapted according to the types of cultures and working volumes.

Why is MINIFOR perfectly suitable for parallel processes?

Each unit stays independent as it is equipped with a control panel and display and at a single glance shows the parameter values. All parameters are regulated locally inside each fermenter-bioreactor unit.

This allows fast and precise parameter regulation and never having to worry about leaving a vessel unattended. Further advantage is that in case there are problems with one unit, the other units will still keep running.

How important is the slowdown in parameter regulation while running 12 bioreactors in parallel?

An important aspect to consider – which, however, does not play a role in the LAMBDA MINIFOR parallel system because each MINIFOR fermenter comes with its proper regulation unit that measures and controls all parameters locally. As a consequence the quality of the measurement and regulation is not affected by long transmission times and dead times in regulation.

How much space is required for the MINIFOR unit?

Footprint: approximately a sheet of paper
Dimensions: 22 cm x 38 cm x 40 cm (W x H x D)