Question

Which of the following should be chosen for best yield if one were to produce a recombinant protein in large amounts?

Answer 1

Laboratory flask of largest capacity:

A laboratory flask of largest capacity cannot be used, because there is no provision for agitation and air sparging. Due to lack of sparging, it will not have a continuous supply of oxygen as well as proper circulation, and there are chances that the bacteria will settle at the bottom due to lack of agitation.

A stirred-tank bioreactor without in-lets and out-lets:

All stirred-tank bioreactors need an inlet for input of culture media and outlet for output of end products.

A continuous culture system:

For large scale production, a continuous culture system is preferred. In this method, the used medium is eliminated from one side of the bioreactor and fresh medium is added from the other side to maintain the cells in their physiologically most active log/ exponential phase. This ensures rapid multiplication of the cells. Hence, a larger biomass is obtained leading to higher yields of desired protein.