Cellexus partner with Verder to upgrade bioreactor systems

Cellmaker and Verder pump

Dundee-based life sciences firm, Cellexus, recently partnered with Castleford-based Verder Liquids to provide pumps to be used for the acid / base pump included as standard with their CellMaker Plus and Low Flow bioreactor systems.

The CellMaker bioreactor system is used by scientists across the globe to produce cells in their laboratories for use in experiments to develop new medicines and vaccines.

The acid / base pump is used with the CellMaker Plus and Low Flow bioreactor systems to automatically manage the pH levels within the single-use bioreactor bags.

The pumps supplied by Verder speed up and simplify tube loading.

The Plus and Low Flow bioreactor system is used for more complex cell culture and fermentation, where pH and Dissolved Oxygen are required. These include cutting edge science such as stem cells and lab meat, as well as mammalian cells used in cancer research.

Cells are grown inside single-use bags, which are connected to the enclosure, and monitored through a controller. Single-use technology allows researchers to swap between experiments quickly without having to clean the device between batches, saving time and speeding up their work.

The device also uses “airlift” technology, where bubbles gases up through the bags to stir the ingredients for creating cells, rather than using mechanical stirred bioreactors that then need to be cleaned with expensive chemicals.

The airlift technology allows researchers to produce higher quantities of cells or bacteriophages from each batch, improving their yield and efficiency.

Gavin Hands, CEO at Cellexus, said: “We are continually impressed by Verder, and are happy to have found not only a solution to our problem, but a key partnership for our business. We are continually improving the CellMaker bioreactor system, and these new pumps help scientists get their bioreactor up and running quicker than ever.”