Design and Analysis of Continuous Virus Inactivation Reactors in Biopharmaceutical Production

Abstract: The biopharmaceutical industry is replacing the current batch process with a continuous one and an essential step in the downstream process is the virus inactivation (VI). The challenge with a continuous VI reactor is to generate a narrow residence time distribution (RTD), while ensuring a precise incubation time. In this thesis, two different continuous virus inactivation reactors, the Jig In a Box (JIB) and a packed bed column, are designed and experimentally evaluated to determine which reactor is more suitable for a continuous production of antibodies. Pulse tracer tests are conducted to estimate the performance of the reactors. Both reactors generate a narrow RTD. For the JIB, however, the effect is highly dependent on the flow rate. The packed bed column performed better or equally to the JIB. Furthermore, the packed bed column is user friendly, has a much lower buffer consumption than the JIB and it is able to run at low flow rates which are commonly used in antibody production. The packed bed column is, therefore, the better option for a continuous VI reactor for a production of antibodies.