I’m currently running a benchtop bioreactor setup in the 1L range, and have temperature, DO, pH sensors etc. In general, bioreactor software is expensive and tends to be pretty locked into using specific hardware/software combinations. I basically want to be able to use whatever the cheapest hardware is that’s available and control it using custom scripts (dose base when pH gets too low etc.).
I like the philosophy of the pioreactor, and the code and hardware base seem great. I’m just wondering, before I embark on trying to get it to work, if there’s anything fundamentally stopping me from using what’s already there combined with plugins etc. for my use case?
Thanks for the response! Very happy to wade into the software/hardware, but didn’t want to come up against some massive challenge after already investing a lot of time so that’s really helpful, thanks! Any chance we could have a call just so I can get a few more details from you?
Hi! I’m working on a similar project! My knowledge on coding and modelling is rather limited but I would be super interested in jumping in chatting over to share some ideas I am posting how things are going here: (WIP) From PioReactor to FlavorReactor
That’s cool! Interesting approach with the atlas sensors that definitely seems to be a cost-effective approach. We’re just using some verbier ones that we’ve been able to borrow so we’ll be figuring out if we can connect them to the pioreactor HAT that’s just arrived as well as connecting up some peristaltic pumps. Things are a bit mad with us at the moment but happy to provide an update once we’ve got closer to having that working
If you increase the diameter of a Pioreactor vial, the maximum optical density that it is able to measure will decrease. I imagine you could increase the brightness of the OD LEDs to compensate, but there is going to be a limit to how bright & large you can go. We’d like a 1000L Pioreactor, and I’m sure that exceeds the limit.
So we’ve been working on Pioflo.org - a project to develop a flow through cell version of the Pioreactor that allows you everything you can do in a regular 20ml Pioreactor, while pumping solution in from a larger fermentation vessel & back. This effectively means we can control almost any size of CSTR with minimal modifications to the Pioreactor hardware and software.
We proved TRL4 for this with 1L of kombucha in a grant application that we put in with KIRDI and other partners, which I’ve just written up for you at Pioflo.org
It would be wonderful to meet up and see what you’re all working on, perhaps we could combine efforts?
Brilliant Curro, I’m pretty sure I know Rafik and have his email. If you’d like to DM me yours then all we need is @noahsprent and I can send a meeting poll to all.
OK, we got consensus for a 1h meeting at 17:00 UTC on 28 November. Everyone who voted in the poll should have received an invite.
If you’d like to join that meeting DM me your email address and I can send you an invite. If you can’t make that time, let us know and we’ll keep you in the loop.
I am posting how things are going here: (WIP)