Bioreactor Space-Time Yield Calculator

Benchmark fermentation or perfusion campaigns by translating titers, culture volumes, and turnaround times into the standard space-time yield metric.

Liquid volume actively cultured in the reactor.
Final concentration of the target molecule at harvest.
Elapsed culture time from inoculation to harvest or turnover.
Portion of broth recovered as product. Defaults to 1.00 when blank.

Operational benchmarking aid. Validate results against historian data, mass balances, and GMP batch records before adjusting capacity plans.

Examples

  • 2,000 L reactor, 4.5 g/L titer, 96 hour run, 95% harvest ⇒ STY 0.04 g/(L·h), 8,550 g harvested, 2.13 kg/day throughput.
  • 500 L perfusion, 3.2 g/L titer, 72 hour hold, harvest left blank (defaults 100%) ⇒ STY 0.04 g/(L·h), 1,152 g mass, 0.38 kg/day.

FAQ

Does the calculator work for perfusion reactors?

Yes. Use the effective working volume of the cell retention loop, average steady-state titer, and the time window across which you aggregate production to obtain comparable STY values.

How should I account for turnaround time between batches?

Include cleaning, SIP, and setup hours in the process duration so the STY reflects true facility utilisation rather than just culture time.

What if my harvest fraction exceeds 1 due to concentration?

Keep the fraction at or below 1. If you concentrate post-harvest, apply the enrichment separately when modelling downstream yields so the STY remains tied to reactor performance.

Additional Information

  • Result unit: grams per litre per hour, plus harvested grams and kg per calendar day.
  • Harvest defaults to 100% when omitted, suitable for single-batch drawdowns with negligible heel losses.
  • Space-time yield assumes steady-state operation across the interval supplied; re-estimate when ramping perfusion rates or bleed volumes.

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