The Bottom Line

The BioFlo 610 is the linchpin of fermentation scale-up, simultaneously providing manufacturing-scale features with pilot-scale flexibility.

Eppendorf BioFlo 610 pilot-scale fermenter vessel at Growth Curve Bio. Detail view of the Eppendorf BioFlo 610 fermenter and its control system.
The Eppendorf BioFlo 610 in the Growth Curve Bio pilot suite, configured for sterilize-in-place operation at 31 to 100 L.

At a Glance

  • Equipment TypePilot-scale, sterilizable-in-place fermenter
  • Working Volume31 to 100 L
  • ControlsTemperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, pressure
  • AdditionsUp to 4

Use Case

Pilot-scale validation & sample generation

Growth Curve Bio employs the BioFlo 610 to move processes from laboratory settings into manufacturing-relevant environments. This system validates performance under pressure and mass transfer conditions more representative of full production scale. The BioFlo 610 produces sufficient fermentation broth volumes for representative downstream processing trials and typically generates adequate sample material for clients to evaluate the product in real-world applications.

Why BioFlo 610?

  • Manufacturing-ready vessel design. Three Rushton impellers, four removable baffles, and a 2:1 aspect ratio mirror large-scale production vessel conditions.
  • Precise control. Integrated load cells deliver accurate mass data, and 4 peristaltic pumps enable complex, highly controlled feeding and inducing strategies.
  • Real-time data. Industry-standard sensors continuously monitor temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, pressure, and foam.

Key Inputs

  • Culture. Client-provided strain or cell line.
  • Media. Defined or complex media recipe.
  • Operational parameters. Setpoints for temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen, along with the dissolved oxygen cascade (agitation, aeration, pressure, supplemental gas).

Key Outputs

  • Precise data. High-resolution logs of temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and cascade components.
  • Analytical material. Fermentation broth for offline analytics (at GCB, client site, or third-party lab).
  • DSP material. Fermentation broth for pilot-scale downstream processing.
  • Scalable protocol. Recipes (including media sterilization) and control logic ready for demonstration and/or manufacturing-scale vessels.