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Why does industrial fermentation require tanks? The '3 Truths' Behind the Yield Gap between Shake Bottles and Fermentation Tanks

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Why does industrial fermentation require tanks? The '3 Truths' Behind the Yield Gap between Shake Bottles and Fermentation Tanks

Apr 30,2025

30 gallon fermenter


Differences in fermentation scale and spatial environment

The fermentation tank has a large volume, ranging from a few cubic meters to several hundred cubic meters. This large-scale fermentation can process a large amount of fermentation broth at once, achieving a high total yield.

For example, in the industrial production of antibiotics, large fermentation tanks can hold several tons of fermentation medium. By controlling the fermentation conditions reasonably, a large amount of antibiotic products can be harvested.

The environment inside the fermentation tank is relatively stable and can provide uniform temperature pH、 Dissolved oxygen and other conditions. 

It can precisely adjust these parameters through stirring devices, ventilation systems, etc., so that microorganisms are in a relatively suitable environment throughout the fermentation process, which is conducive to microbial growth and product synthesis.



7 gallon fermenter



For example, by adjusting the stirring speed and ventilation rate, it can ensure that microorganisms in various parts of the fermentation tank can obtain sufficient oxygen, thereby improving fermentation efficiency.

The shaking bottle has a small volume, usually ranging from tens of milliliters to several liters. This limits its fermentation scale, and the amount of product that can be obtained from each fermentation is relatively small.

For example, when conducting preliminary screening of microbial metabolites in the laboratory, shaking flasks of 250ml or 500ml are commonly used, and the resulting fermentation products may only be sufficient for preliminary component analysis and activity testing.


stainless steel fermenter



The uniformity of the environment inside the shaking bottle is relatively poor. During the shaking process of the shaker, although it can mix the culture medium and microorganisms evenly to a certain extent, compared with the fermentation tank, its control accuracy for temperature, dissolved oxygen and other conditions is lower.

For example, microorganisms near the bottle wall and center in a shaking bottle may grow differently due to differences in temperature and dissolved oxygen.



bacterial fermenter



Differences in oxygen supply capacity

Fermentation tanks are usually equipped with efficient ventilation systems such as air filters, distributors, etc. Air can enter the fermentation broth evenly through the distributor, and under the action of the stirrer, bubbles can be fully dispersed in the fermentation broth, allowing microorganisms to fully contact oxygen.

For example, in the process of aerobic microbial fermentation to produce amino acids, the fermentation tank can maintain the dissolved oxygen level within the optimal range required for microbial growth and product synthesis by precisely controlling the aeration rate and stirring speed, thereby increasing the yield of amino acids.

Some advanced fermentation tanks also use special oxygen supply technologies, such as pure oxygen aeration and oxygen enriched aeration, to further increase the dissolved oxygen concentration in the fermentation broth, thereby promoting microbial growth and product synthesis.

This efficient oxygen supply method can meet the oxygen demand of microorganisms in high concentration and high activity states, which helps to improve fermentation yield.



single use bioreactor

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