For our final project within the MMB program, we were tasked with identifying an unmet need, evaluating the feasibility of a novel product or service, developing a comprehensive, customer-validated business model, and creating an investor pitch for both the solution and the company that will provide the solution.

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My team designed a novel nutrient and oxygen pump to be used in shake flask fermentation to address several challenges associated with scale-up in biomanufacturing. During R&D and process development, screening studies are conducted to evaluate cell viability and optimal feed levels. However, experiments conducted in shake flasks are often not scalable, comparable with large-scale bioreactors, or reproducible at scale. This is due to limited gas input during the liquid phase, resulting in considerable oxygen limitations within the shake flask. Additionally, nutrient availability relies on appropriate timing and manual nutrient addition by laboratory or process technicians, which is time-consuming and risks contamination of the batch. These limitations of shake flask fermentation restrict its use for processes with continuous or fed-batch operation modes. 

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Above is our second presentation made to our advisory panel.