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PUMPS, VALVES & ACTUATORS CULTIVATE PRECISE CONTROL IN BIOREACTORS


friendly alternative, that is also free from animal harm. Currently, production is laboratory-scale, and expanding to industrial levels could enable this new food to reach our supermarkets. To achieve this, the accurate environmental control of the bioreaction process is essential, meaning that gas flow and temperature regulation with optimised valve systems will be a vital requirement. Producing cultivated meat is achieved


G


through cellular agriculture. A sample of cells is obtained from a donor animal by a physically harmless biopsy. Myocyte cells are then separated and placed into a medium, such as a microalgae base, which is rich in the nutrients essential to cell reproduction. For the cells to achieve sufficient yield through further growth, maintaining the precise environmental conditions within the bioreaction process is crucial. One major challenge the new food industry


faces is the need to scale-up production. Although the current price of a cultivated meat burger is, theoretically, around €9, this value has decreased significantly since production of the first lab-grown patty in 2013, which reportedly cost nearly €300,000 (according to Maastricht University). Growing cultivated meat remains at laboratory scale, and before this new food can reach the supermarket, the cost of production needs to decrease further still. Companies like Zeta are developing


systems for meat and fish cell cultivation that have the potential to increase the scale of production over time. Large-scale bioreactors and fermenters that can efficiently create higher yields are required, with precise process/environmental control vital. A crucial factor to ensure that the initial cells


multiply is temperature control. If the cells are not incubated at a precise temperature, they will die. 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. Central to gas and temperature control in


cultivated meat production is the valve system. Zeta has developed a cultivated meat


32 NOVEMBER 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL


Growing cultivated meat remains at laboratory scale, and before this new food can reach the supermarket, the cost of production needs to decrease further still. (Copyright (c) 2019 tilialucida/Shutterstock)


rown from animal muscle cells, cultivated meat has the potential to provide a more environmentally


Kieran Bennett, Industry Account Manager for Food & Beverage applications at Bu


̈rkert,


discusses the importance of bioreactor controls for scaling-up cultivated meat production


system in conjunction with Bürkert’s flow control technology that optimises fermentation gas dosing. While companies like Zeta are pioneers in this new field, 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 industrial-scale bioreactors, controlled by systems like those Bürkert supplies 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. Zeta has used Bu ̈rkert’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. Bu


̈rkert’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 Bu


which is based on CANopen. To ensure CIP protocols, material selection


and design is fundamental. For hygienic applications, stainless steel is the benchmark. 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 offers higher resistance to corrosion, smoother surface finish, and greater temperature tolerance.


Bürkert Fluid Control Systems www.burkert.co.uk


̈rkert’s EDIP digital network,


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