3. Conclusion

Since the late 1990s, single-use bioreactors have played a significant role in biopharmaceutical research and development laboratories. Well-suited to animal cell cultures, they provide flexibility, time savings and safety, enabling initial investments to be reduced and the feasibility of research projects to be rapidly tested. Innovation and creativity on the part of suppliers and users have enabled the development of equipment with performances similar to those of conventional bioreactors, for production volumes that can reach 2,000 L at present, or even more in a few years' time. Other development prospects include increased productivity for animal cell cultures and stem cells, and in the more traditional fields of micro-organism cultures (bacteria, yeast, algae, etc.), if large-scale production of such equipment reduces costs and increases the useful volumes of these bioreactors. They...