BioCoder #5

Chapter 3. Bioreactors and Food Production

Gregory Mueller

A bioreactor is a device or system that controls a biologically active environment. Bioreactors have been around for decades in different forms, yet with new fabrication tools and web-connected microcontrollers, makers and biohackers are starting to design modular reactors that are low cost and robust in their ability to control a biological process. There are a ton of potential applications for bioreactor technology. Here I’m going to talk about food production: specifically, home fermentation, hydroponics, and fertilizer. Then I’ll share some of the reactors I’ve developed.

Home Fermentation

Home fermentation has gained a lot of popularity lately. Brewing at home tends to produce unique flavors, while also preserving vitamin, enzymatic, and biological activity. Plus, it’s really cool! You can experiment with a wide array of things, beer probably being the most popular. Beer brewing is a two-step process of first converting a starch source into sugars (mash), and then fermenting those sugars into alcohol. Wine fermentation is fun as well, using grapes (or other fruit) as the sugar source. The primary fermentation uses yeast to convert the sugars to alcohol. The secondary malolactic fermentation uses specific strains of bacteria to convert malic acid to lactic acid for a softer taste. Micro-oxygenation is also often done to polymerize tannins, creating a smoother mouth feel.

Maybe more interesting than well-known ferments ...