INTEGRATED SYSTEMS 32 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS March 2024 www.hpmag.co.uk Temperature control remains vital throughout the cultivation process to optimise yield, as well as quality. Within the bioreactor, precise gas control is also essential, ensuring the correct inlet of gases such as oxygen, as well as the dissipation of carbon dioxide, and the maintenance of the necessary pH level. A sterile environment is also a prerequisite. Quality, quantity, and safety of production depend on hygiene - and future regulation will hinge on this too. Valve control Central to gas and temperature control in cultivated meat production is the valve system. Kieran Bennett, Industry Account Manager for Food & Beverage applications at Bürkert explains that Zeta has developed a cultivated meat system in conjunction with Bürkert’s flow control technology that optimises fermentation gas dosing. While companies like Zeta are pioneers in this new field, in many respects, the control technology is already well-established. The exact parameters of temperature and gas modulation to optimise cell yield are still in development. However, cultivated meat production is set to involve industrialscale bioreactors, controlled by systems like those supplied today by Bürkert to the pharmaceutical sector. Control valves are integral to both the initial cell filtration and separation phase, as well as fermentation, and precision is essential throughout. Bennett highlights that Zeta, as well as development by the University of Queensland, has used Bürkert’s mass flow controllers to regulate cultivated meat production. These devices control temperature and gas with accuracy down to +/-0.3%, and a deviation in repeatability of just +/- 0.1%. Combined with possible flow control volumes as low as 0.005 litres per minute, this assures the accuracy required for large-scale cell production. While a digital valve system helps to optimise this level of accuracy, it also increases control efficiency, important for scaling-up production while minimising cost. Typically, an industry-scale bioreactor features three or more mass flow controllers. Bürkert’s system maintains a central control unit that serves as a master over compliant devices, reducing cost and resources in installation and management. The mass flow controllers communicate via Bürkert’s EDIP digital network, which is based on CANopen, the predominant protocol in the automotive sector, chosen for its reliability. Making the vision a reality To ensure CIP protocols, material selection and design is fundamental. For hygienic applications, stainless steel is the benchmark, hence its prevalence in the pharmaceutical sector. While this is crucial for gas control, it’s equally important for temperature control, where steam is usually used to regulate a bioreactor. Painted carbon steel valves are sometimes offered as lower cost alternatives, but stainless steel is the de facto selection, thanks to its higher resistance to corrosion, smoother surface finish, and greater temperature tolerance. The cultivated meat sector is on the brink of a distinct production increase, and this depends on the ability to transition from lab-scale to industrialscale development. Valve modulation is integral, and while the precise control parameters are in development, the required technology base exists. Sources: 1 https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ news/what%E2%80%99s-been- going-%E2%80%98hamburgerprofessor%E2%80%99 2 https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ news/what%E2%80%99s-been- going-%E2%80%98hamburgerprofessor%E2%80%99 Zeta, as well as development by the University of Queensland, has used Bürkert’s mass flow controllers to regulate cultivated meat production.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=