The primary aim of this work was to share the results from a Research Project supported by the Italian National Research Council, which led to the development of a versatile jacketed tower bioreactor. Designed to optimize oxygen transfer efficiency and process control, the reactor incorporated a reciprocating air compressor, centrifugal pumps, a draft tube with or without perforated plates, and a series of gas–liquid ejectors. Its flexible design enabled operation in both airlift and ejector-loop modes, making it suitable for a wide range of aerobic fermentation processes. By sharing the detailed engineering design, operational procedures of this pilot-scale bioreactor, as well as its performance data when cultivating yeasts on whey and potato wastewater, a detailed blueprint was given to researchers seeking to advance bioreactor technology, particularly in the context of emerging fields like cultured meat production, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and environmental bioremediation.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
