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From strain to scalable process.
Upstream and downstream development from 250 mL to 7 L. Analytics on every run, full raw data and no minimums.
⬣ WHAT WE DO
Every stage of your process, under one roof
Start with one stage or run the whole sequence. The same team carries your process from the first run to handoff.
Strain selection, media and feed optimisation and fermentation strategy design, in batch, fed-batch or continuous mode, with automated control of pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature and foam.
Upstream development
Centrifugation and filtration for clarification, TFF for concentration and diafiltration, chromatography for enzymes, proteins and specialty molecules, and freeze-drying with buffer optimisation for stability.
Downstream processing
Produce the grams of product you need for application testing, partners or investors, delivered as broth, concentrate or dried powder.
Material generation
HPLC, YSI, flow cytometry, SDS-PAGE, Western blot and ELISA track your process as it runs, so each decision is based on data.
Analytics on every run
Tech transfer and scale-up
Batch records, process parameters and a documentation package ready for your CDMO or CMO when you need larger volumes.
START AT ANY STEP
You do not need the full sequence.
Bring us one part of your process and we run just that.
Made it somewhere else? We clarify it and run TFF to concentrate and diafilter it.
Bring your broth
Send concentrate or biomass and we lyophilise it, with buffer optimisation for stability.
Freeze-drying only
We set up and run QC for your product, from CFU plating to flow cytometry and HPLC.
A QC workflow
⬣ HOW A PROJECT RUNS
Scoped up front. Reviewed every run.
Intake
Tell us about your strain, target product and any process data you already have. We sign an NDA before details are shared.
Work order
A scoped work order sets out the runs, analytics, timeline and deliverables. No retainer, no minimums.
Runs
We run your process in our bioreactors and downstream equipment, with in-process analytics throughout.
REPEATS WITH REVIEW
Review
After each run you get a post-run report and the raw data, and we plan the next run with you.
Handoff
Optimised process, material, and the documentation to scale with a CDMO or in your own facility.
⬣ SCALE AND EQUIPMENT
Built for development scale
We work with bacteria, yeast, fungi and plant cell cultures, in batch, fed-batch or continuous mode, for teams in biopharma, nutraceuticals, specialty enzymes, agricultural biochemicals and bio-based ingredients.
Bioreactors · 250 mL
Caladan 250 parallel bioreactors
4 × 250 mL
Reactors per run, in parallel
Working volume
70–280 mL
Feeds
4 pumps per reactor
Used for: Strain and media screening, fed-batch optimisation, four conditions compared in one run.
Control
pH · DO · temp · foam
Gas
Mass flow + off-gas O₂/CO₂
Bioreactors · 3 L
Distek BIOne benchtop bioreactors
2 × 3 L
Autoclavable glass vessels
Modes
Batch · fed-batch · continuous
Gas
Air, O₂, N₂, CO₂ mass flow
Used for: Process development, scale-up studies and material generation.
Control
pH · DO · temp · foam
Mixing
Dual Rushton impellers
Bioreactors · 7 L
Distek BIOne benchtop bioreactors
2 × 7 L
Autoclavable glass vessels
Modes
Batch · fed-batch · continuous
Scale-up
Direct from 3 L runs
Used for: Larger material runs and tech-transfer batches.
Control
Same sensors as 3 L
Output
Grams-scale material
Downstream · Centrifuge
Thermo Sorvall LYNX 6000
100,605 × g
Maximum RCF, rotor-dependent
Temperature
−20 to +40 °C
Format
Floor-standing
Used for: Cell harvest, clarification and pelleting.
Rotors
Swing-bucket and fixed-angle
Stage
Harvest and clarification
Repligen KrosFlo KR2i
Automated
Tangential flow filtration
Operations
Concentration · diafiltration
Inputs
Your broth or ours
Control
Fully automated
Stage
Recovery
Used for: Concentrating and diafiltering broth, including broth made elsewhere.
QIAGEN TissueLyser II
48–192
Samples per run
Method
Bead milling
Formats
Tubes and plates
Frequency
3–30 Hz
Stage
Recovery and analysis
Used for: Cell disruption ahead of analysis or recovery.
Drying & finishing · Freeze dryer
Labconco FreeZone 2.5 L
−84 °C
Collector temperature
Capacity
2.5 L ice
Records
Data logging
Used for: Freeze-drying biomass and concentrates into shelf-stable powder.
Build
Corrosion-resistant
Pre-work
Buffer optimisation
Automated tube and bottle filling
Programmable
Peristaltic dosing
Formats
Tubes · plates · bottles · vials
Use
Aliquots and kits
Scale
Short runs
Stage
Finishing
Used for: Aliquoting, sample kits and short-run fill.
Analytics · HPLC
RP-HPLC with UV detection
~3 days
Typical turnaround, per batch
Panels
Sugars · acids · ethanol
DETECTION
UV, reversed phase
Used for: Sugars, organic acids, ethanol, small molecules and titre.
Columns
Sugar and organic-acid
Minimum
6 samples
Analytics · YSI
YSI 2950D biochemistry analyzer
~60 s
Per result
Analytes
Glucose · lactate · NH₄⁺ · K⁺
Use
At-line, mid-run
Used for: At-line monitoring and mid-run feed decisions.
Batch
Up to 96 samples
Output
Raw data to you
Analytics · Plate & protein
Plate, protein and cell analysis
6–384
Well formats
Plate reader
SpectraMax iD3
Gels
Bio-Rad systems
Used for: OD, enzyme assays, SDS-PAGE, Western blot, ELISA, cell counts and particle size.
Imaging
iBright CL1500
Cells
Flow cytometry · Zetasizer
Bioprocess FAQ
For early projects, basic strain information and whatever data you have. For established processes, your SOPs and process parameters help us onboard faster.
A post-run report with the key results and the complete raw data, followed by a review with your team to plan the next run.
Bacteria, yeast, fungi and plant cell cultures. Flex BioCulture operates at Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) and can accommodate BSL-2 organisms by arrangement.
No. There is no retainer and no minimum number of runs. Each project is scoped in a work order.
We prepare the batch records and documentation package for your CDMO or CMO, and can help you plan the scale-up.
Clients retain full ownership of their materials, pre-existing intellectual property, project deliverables, and all results and raw data generated from their work. All information shared is protected under the confidentiality provisions of the Master Services Agreement, and a mutual non-disclosure agreement can be executed before any project details are exchanged.