Hello everyone,
We are encountering some difficulties with our New Brunswick BioFlo 3000 benchtop bioreactor during continuous methanol feeding experiments. Our aim is to feed methanol at a very low and steady rate over 72 hours. However, our peristaltic pump does not rotate continuously at the low speeds required—instead, it cycles on and off at a set speed. Combined with the elevated pressure inside the bioreactor, this results in significant backflow in the silicone feed tubing, making it impossible to maintain a consistent methanol feed.
At the moment, purchasing a new, high-precision pump is not an option for us due to budget constraints. Has anyone experienced similar issues with low-rate continuous feeding under pressure in small-scale bioreactors with this type of peristaltic pumps?
We would greatly appreciate any advice, recommendations, or shared experiences. Thank you in advance for your help!
Dear Jose,
What is the pump rate you want to achieve? Below 1 mL/h? How wide is the inner diameter of your tube and the pump head diameter? Going lower should enable lower pump rates.
Best
Michael
Dear Michael,
Thank you very much for your answer,
We want a ratio below 1 mL/h for the methanol addition as you commented, we will try to use a lower diameter tube.
Thanks again
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