Features
Real-time optical density using IR light
Our built-in optical density sensors record the state of your culture every five seconds. The sensors can be oriented to record scatter at two different sensitivities: 135° or 90°.
Mixing and agitation
A magnetic stir bar provides agitation and mixing. RPMs range from 100 - 1000 RPM and is controlled via a feedback loop.
Web-based interface for controlling bioreactors
The Pioreactor comes with an intuitive browser-based interface. All the Pioreactors in your cluster are controlled from a single interface.
Attach and power external loads
The Pioreactor has four PWM (pulse width modulated) power outputs for powering external loads between 5V to 18V.
It's easy to control peristatlic pumps, valve pinches, air pumps, and more in your bioreactor.
Built-in LED references
LED light output will vary with age and temperature, and this can lead to artifacts in your data if not controlled for.
The Pioreactor has built-in LED references and is automatically applied to control for any LED dimming.
Real-time growth rates
Using biologically-inspired algorithms, the Pioreactor calculates a real-time growth rate of the culture after every optical density measurement - including during and after pumping.
Control how and when liquid is handled
Attaching peristaltic pumps to the Pioreactor allows for controlled and measured dosing and removal of media. The vial comes with four inlets/outlets that can be used for doing, sampling and air flow - each with a male luer lock connector.
Pioreactor has common modes of dosing operations like turbidostat, chemostat, morbidostat, fed-batch, but can also be programmed for more specific needs.
Control up to four individual LEDs
Up to four 5mm LED can be added and then controlled with the Pioreactor. This turns your bioreactor into a photo-bioreactor to grow photosynthetic microorganisms, or in optogenetic systems. Power LEDs up to 100mA.
LEDs can be programmed for day/night cycles, respond to growth rates, or any specific behaviour you need!
Heating and thermoregulation
The Pioreactor has built-in heating and temperature sensors to stabilize the temperature of the culture, from ambient temp to ~(ambient temp + 20℃). Like the LEDs and dosing, the heating can be manually and automatically controlled.
Data exports to CSV
Almost every data point and system change is logged and recorded in an onboard SQL database. All datasets are easily exportable to CSV format from the interface.
The Pioreactor exposes a real-time event stream for other software to listen to as well.
Programmable bioreactors
Design and implement your own bioreactor automations using the Pioreactor's API.
Use feedback loops to respond to how your cultures are progressing, set up alerts to other systems, or implement new machine learning models. Our software is open source, too!
High level scripts to control your cluster
Write simple scripts to automatically control actions in your entire Pioreactor cluster.
Need to update the temperature at 3:00 AM? We'll do it for you - you sleep instead. Want to trigger actions based on live data? We'll listen for events and trigger it for you.
Use plugins from our community
Install plugins, created from our community of users, to further extend your Pioreactor's abilities.
Publish your custom Python code as a plugin to share with the entire community.
Culture volume
The total volume of the bioreactor is 20ml, and the working volume is 15ml.
Includes 4 male luer connections, a 15mm stir bar, and is entirely autoclavable (including cap and tubes!)
Backup data between Pioreactors
When more than one Pioreactor is in your cluster, data is backed up between Pioreactors to minimize chances of data loss.
Plugins can be installed to back up data into a private cloud as well.
Add your own sensors
The Pioreactor comes with lots of hardware IO, including a StemmaQT / Qwiic connector that allows for third party sensors to be easily integrated.
Add additional Pioreactors to your cluster
Our software and web interface can scale to any number of Pioreactors: quickly add Pioreactors to expand to the needs of your experiments and control them in parallel.
Easy hardware assembly
The Pioreactor is no more difficult to assemble than a small Lego set.
All pieces are provided in each kit. Just bring a Raspberry Pi and your curiousity.
Calculate growth rates during continuous culturing
The Pioreactor can easily be used for continous cultures, including as a turbidostat or chemostat.
When using the Pioreactor with continuous cultures, growth rates are still calculated in real-time without any disruption due to liquid changing.
Small footprint
The Pioreactor only occupies a small area on your bench:
No pumps: 9 x 6 x 12cm
With two pumps: 9 x 15 x 15cm
Compatible with your existing Raspberry Pi
Use almost any Raspberry Pi with the Pioreactor: Raspberry Pi 3A & B, Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi Zero W, and Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
Easy calibrations
We think calibration should be automated, and if not automated, then simple. The Pioreactor has user-friendly routines to calibrate pumps, optical density, luminosity, and more.
