Insulin Bioreactor Design

CHEE 450 Thursday, March 29

Reactor Considerations
Production

of insulin precursor 5000 kg insulin per year

Assumes 20 % loss due to purification
kLa

within 10% of 2088 hr -1

Prevents oxygen limited reaction Prevents anaerobic metabolism

Glucose

concentration < 0.5 g/L

Prevents formation of ethanol

CSTR

configuration Jacket heat exchanger Price

How Unit Operates

Substrate

feed

Glucose, ammonia, mineral salts

Cellular

metabolism of substrate Extracellular production of insulin Air sparging for oxygen delivery Impellers for mixing of nutrients and oxygen

Bioreactor Specifications

Di
1.3 m

H = 5.5 m
* L

Dt
1.50 m

HL**= 6.06m

Total volume = 11.8 m3

Final Design Specifications

Initial Reactor Volume Max Oxygen Demand Target maximum kLa Tank Diameter Impeller Diameter Tank Height (HL) HL* HL** Rpm Qg Ni Corrected Power (Pg) Pg/V Design kL a Pm Geometry Correction Factor () 8500L 8mmole/gh 2088h-1 1.5m 1.3m 4.81m 5.51m 6.06m 45 0.036m3/s 2
6789W

776.21W/m3 1998h-1 8.06W/kg 0.13

Final Design continued.

T Ln Qmax, heat exchanger Qmet Qagitation Qtot Total Tank Costs (minus instruments) Monthly cap costs, ital amortized over 10 years (12% interes t) Power costs per month Air costs per month Total M onthly Costs (Capital + Ope rating) Cost pe kg of insu r lin 16.36C
280254.27W 11323.42W 6597.81W 17921.22W

$57101.52 $27155.69 $304.82 $1710.55 $4936.67 $11.85

Companies That Produce Insulin

Sanofi

Pasteur Novonordisk Eli Lilly Average cost = $40/100 I.U. or ~$800/kg Final production cost ~$12/kg precursor

Includes capital and operating costs (minus medium)

Novonordisk Bioreactor

Questions?