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Pioflo

Enabling affordable bioreactors at scale

Affordable, infinitely scaleable bioreactors

The basic concept of Pioflo is that we turn the tried-and-tested Pioreactor into a flow through cell. This means that any size of Ideal CSTR can be converted to a bioreactor by adding a Pioflo to control the CSTR using real-time measurement of optical density.

Pioflo TRL4 Sketch

Lets discuss next steps at forum.amybo.org - and check out the write up to date below:

1 - Pioflo v0.01

TRL4 Kombucha

First attempt

Photograph of pioreactor 20ml v1.0 configured as a flow through cell with a 1L beaker of Kombucha in the background and a 20ml vial of Kombucha in the foreground

Bill of Materials

  1. 1x Pioreactor 20ml v1.0, normally configured
  2. 1x 12V peristaltic pump
  3. 2x M3 stainless steel nuts
  4. 1x Pumping dovetail platform
  5. 1x 1000ml Beaker
  6. 1x Stainless Steel Tray acting as bund

Kombucha Ingredients

  1. 800ml boiling water
  2. 2 green tea bags
  3. 50g granulated sugar
  4. Small portion of SCOBY, originally from Counter Culture Drinks

Method

  1. Add boiling water, green tea bags and sugar to beaker
  2. Stir until all sugar dissolves
  3. Cool to room temperature
  4. Remove green tea bags
  5. Add M3 nut to end of two Pioreactor silicone tubes and submerge them in the tea
  6. connect one tube directly to the vial cap and the second via the peristaltic pump
  7. Seal the other Pioreactor vial cap ports (or run all four into the tea, as I did)
  8. Add SCOBY
  9. Cover (I used recycled tissue paper but will use a cloth next time) secured with a rubber band
  10. Monitor optical density

Initial Results

A screenshot of the initial Pioflo test with Kombucha fermenting in a standard 1L beaker.