About the BoB project
The Bolt-on Bioreactor (BoB) project is an independent initiative aiming at developing and commercializing a bioreactor for the automated and efficient culture of adherent cells, to be applied especially to the production of therapeutic cells and other biopharmaceuticals.
The BoB is based on the transmision of a rotatory movement to the inside of an enclosed vessel containing a coil support for adherent cell culture, without affecting the integrity of the vessel wall. The patented system does not use metallic elements within the culture chamber, thus allowing for the production of a competitive single-use system.
The patented design for liquid flow and distribution on a rolled membrane ensures efficiency of the culture process.
Although The BoB team have worked on several designs, we believe that the best approach to provide an efficent solution to the market is to meet users needs. This is one of the reason behind taking this project to the public arena: to obtain as much feedback as posible from those who will be using the system in the near future.
Your comments, suggestions and opinions are most welcome!
February, 2019 - Perfusion bioreactor for adherent cells - The BoB
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
Have you missed us? We have not been in touch for a long time. Working on the shadows. Now we are back with exciting news!
As you probably know, The Bolt-on Bioreactor (BoB) project aims at providing the biopharmaceutical industry with an automated and efficient bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells. The full design consists of a Control unit that controls a Culture chamber where cell growth takes place. Industrialization of the current design has proven to be a bottleneck in the product development process and it is ralentising access to the system.
To circumvent this drawback, we have developed a simpler design, the Roller BoB. This design consists of a rolled membrane, just as in the full BoB, contained within a roller bottle. The current version, available for evaluation purposes, provides 13,500 square centimeters of cell culture area within a 1.5 litre bottle.
Although we are focused on product development, we have also carried out some laboratory tests. Using one Roller BoB we have expanded 13 millions of adherent CHO cells to 492 millions in six days using 200 ml of culture medium replaced every two days.
Expectations are comming true!
If you are interested in testing the system, do not hesitate to get in touch.
We will keep you updated. Thanks for reading!
The BoB team :-)
www.boltonbioreactor.com
November, 2015 - Perfusion bioreactor for adherent cells - The BoB
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
We do not know how long it took for others to develop and market a bioreactor, but to us it is a painstakingly long process!
As you probably know, The Bolt-on Bioreactor (BoB) project aims at providing the biopharmaceutical industry with an automated and efficient bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells. Last September, Bioprocess International (www.bioprocessintl.com) published an article on the process economics related to using The Bolt-on Bioreactor. It was the last instalment of a series of four articles covering each of the challenges identified by The BoB team when developing an efficient bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells. This article is also available at our web (http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/about/media-coverage.html).
A couple of weeks ago, we presented at the PEGS Europe Summit 2015 in Lisbon, Portugal (http://www.pegsummiteurope.com). The presentation was a compilation of all our findings and solutions to all four challenges related to the development of the BoB. A written transcript version of this presentation is available at the above link to our web page.
A major advancement of The BoB project is that CIC biomaGUNE (www.cicbiomagune.com), the biomaterials research center, has joined our network of collaborators. CIC biomaGUNE comes up with an astounding technology for non-invasive cell harvesting based on plasmonic culture substrates. CIC biomaGUNE has incorporated the Bolt-on Bioreactor IPR to its current patent portfolio. Collaboration with CIC biomaGUNE will boost the development of the BoB.
We will keep you updated.
Thanks for reading!
The BoB team :-)
www.boltonbioreactor.com
May, 2015 - The Bolt-on Bioreactor fundraising campaign
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
It is about one year since we went public with The Bolt-on Bioreactor project, the independent initiative for the development of a bioreactor for the perfusion culture of adherent cells for biopharmaceutical applications.
As you may be aware of, we have publicly shown our findings in a series of articles published in Bioprocess International. The third article of the series, on containment and sterility, was published a couple of weeks ago (http://www.bioprocessintl.com/upstream-processing/bioreactors/bioreactor-design-for-adherent-cell-culture-the-bolt-on-bioreactor-project-part-3-containment-sterility/). The fourth and last article of this series, on process economics, is scheduled to be published in September.
We have also produced test prototypes, made the proof of concept, filed an international patent application, discussed with components providers, distributors and investors. And we have also gathered a number of end-user organizations interested in taking part in the evaluation trial of the system. And, most relevant, thousands of you have visited our webpage, sent comments to the design and taken part on our surveys.
All the hints point towards the BoB becoming a successful bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells and the system of choice for the industry.
Currently, we are raising the funding necessary to take the BoB to the Market and we wish to have the Market support, your support, to the project.
If you wish to take part, you can:
- invest in the project, sharing risks and benefits
- pre-order bioreactors or customized developments
- license the technology to produce your own developments
- donate
Should you be interested, please let us know as soon as possible, since this fundraising campaign will end by the end of June.
You can get an overview of this initiative in a video, in our webpage or directly in Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zap4cM2pshc&feature=youtu.be).
Thanks for reading!
The BoB team :-)
www.boltonbioreactor.com
March, 2015 - Perfusion bioreactor for adherent cells
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
Just a brief update on the Bolt-on Bioreactor (BoB) project.
The BoB project aims at providing the biopharmaceutical industry with an automated and efficient bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells.
Following identification of the four major challenges faced in order to provide the future standard for adherent cell culture, we have designed a bioreactor that meets all conclusions gathered during the study, including market input obtained through the various surveys carried out. Our conclusions are being published as a series of articles in the Bioprocess International magazine. The first installment of the series was published in the January issue, the second installment will be published in April, and the third and fourth in successive months.
We have also gathered a number of organizations with major interest in adherent cell culture who will evaluate the BoB and provide insight on the performance of the system in their respective applications.
We are currently adapting the design of the culture chamber and control unit to the manufacturing processes prior to proceeding with the production of the evaluation units.
We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your attention.
The BoB team :-)
www.boltonbioreactor.com
December, 2014 - Perfusion bioreactor for adherent cell culture
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
The Bolt-on bioreactor project aims at providing the market with an automated and efficient bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells.
The BoB team undertook to design and develop an efficient perfusion bioreactor for adherent cell culture. To this end, the team analysed the four major challenges faced in adherent cell culture and consulted the Market for comments via an Open Design initiative:
The Four Challenges: http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/the-bob/the-four-challenges.html
Open Design initiative: http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/the-bob/generica.html
With all the information gathered, we have defined the features of the Bolt-on Bioreactor. The final design is available at: http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/the-bob.html
A brief introductory video can be watched at The BoB project home page (http://www.boltonbioreactor.com). Your comments on the design will help us improve the bioreactor. Thank you!
Organizations and individuals are collaborating with the project. We will be glad to increase the number of collaborators (http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/about/generica.html).
We can now produce a limited number of evaluation units. Should you be interested in the early adoption of this revolutionary cell culture system do not hesitate to contact us.
We are very grateful to Bioprocess International (http://www.bioprocessintl.com/) for featuring the project in their comming January 2015 issue.
We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your attention,
The BoB team :-)
www.boltonbioreactor.com
October, 2014 - Adherent cell culture (automated and efficient)
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
The Bolt-on bioreactor project aims at providing the market with an automated and efficient bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells. The BoB team committed themselves to give answer to the four challenges that must be met to accomplish the goal. We have just published our solution to Challenge #4 on how to make the system profitable both to the user and to the vendor.
http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/about-the-bob-project/the-bolt-on-bioreactor/challenge-4.html
Although most of your answers to our last survey agree with our views on Quick connectors and Single-use probes, a significant number of respondants favored pre-assembled tubing over quick connectors. We will take this opinion into consideration and include this feature in the design of the single-use culture chamber.
Thank you very much for your contribution!
Regarding pricing policies for the single-use culture chamber and the control unit, we reckon that we have found the balance between the advantages that the user demands from a cell culture system and the rentability that will make the vendors interested in marketing the product. We will be extremely grateful if you would tell us your opinion by taking part on the ongoing survey available on the homepage of the project together with a video summarizing major results of our economic analysis. Thanks :-)
Following this link you will see the cumulated answers to previous polls:
http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/about-the-bob-project/the-bolt-on-bioreactor/open-design.html
Next, we will put together all the info gathered through the Open design initiative and our own skills and come up with a design that, in coming weeks, will be openly exposed to your opinion. We'll do our best.
We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your attention,
The BoB team :-)
www.boltonbioreactor.com
August, 2014 - Adherent cell culture (Automated)
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
The Bolt-on Bioreactor project is moving forward!
The BoB project aims at providing the market with an automated and efficient bioreactor for the culture of adherent cells.
As a result of your answers to our last survey we have modified the design of the culture chamber to include ports and probes for the measurement of more process parameters. Thank you very much for your contribution!
We have included on the web our views on how to solve Challenge #3 related to containment (http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/about-the-bob-project/the-bolt-on-bioreactor/challenge-3.html).The most fascinating problem regarding containment was how to convey the rotatory movement to the inside of the culture chamber without traversing any wall of the vessel. Our solution is represented in the latest video uploaded on The BoB project homepage (www.boltonbioreactor.com). At the homepage you will also find our current survey on types of probes and fluid connectors. Please, let us know your preferences. Thanks :-)
Following this link you will see the cumulated answers to previous polls: http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/about-the-bob-project/the-bolt-on-bioreactor/open-design.html
The last challenge to provide the standard solution to automated adherent cell culture is Challenge #4. This challenge has to do with the economic feasability of the system. We expect to give a solution to this challenge in coming weeks.
We are very grateful to Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News for highlighting The BoB Project in their August issue (http://gen.epubxp.com/i/350894/28).
We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your attention,
The BoB team :-)
www.boltonbioreactor.com
July, 2014 - Adherent cell culture (Automated)
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
The Bolt-on Bioreactor is getting closer to the market!
After a thorough analysis we have establish the minimum set of parameters necessary to automate a continuous culture process for adherent cells, this is our Challenge #2. Our findings are summarized in the following link, http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/index.html, where you will also find links to detailed explanations on the automation design of The BoB and the chance to cast your vote on the parameters required for this automation.
Next we will address Challenge #3, related to sterility and containment.
Several issues still need to be taken care of, but thanks to the large number of respondents to our ongoing surveys, our designs and prototypes are moving on the right direction to become the standard solution for adherent cell culture. Your comments have been very useful. Thank you!
Following this link you will see the cumulated answers to the voting: http://www.boltonbioreactor.com/about-the-bob-project/the-bolt-on-bioreactor/open-design.html
The BoB has been designed to meet the requirements of GMP manufacturing and comprises a single-use culture chamber and a small control unit. We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your attention,
The BoB team :-)
June, 2014 - Adherent cell culture (Automated)
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
The Bolt-on Bioreactor (BoB) project for the development of an automated system for the culture of adherent cells is taking shape.
Following the strong support received from all of you interested in adherent cell culture, we have:
- Identified the 4 challenges that will have to be addressed in order to make The BoB a standard.
- Found a solution to Challenge #1 (> 10 X increase in cell culture area in a reduced volume). A video showing our approach is embeded on the web (www.boltonbioreactor.com).
- Started a survey to validate our approach to solving Challenge #1.
The BoB has been designed to meet the requirements of GMP manufacturing and comprises a single-use culture chamber and a small control unit. We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your attention,
The BoB team :-)
May, 2014 - Adherent cell culture
Dear cell culture stakeholder,
An automated system for the culture of adherent cells is under
development.
The automated system provides a smooth and continuous surface and a
much larger culture area than traditional devices.
The so-called Bolt-on Bioreactor (BoB) has been designed to meet the
requirements of GMP manufacturing and comprises a single-use culture
chamber and a small control unit. We will keep you updated.
Thank you for your attention
The BoB team :-)
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