Holger Mueller, BlueSens | Using Off-Gas Analysis to Improve Fermentation and Scale-Up: What can the gases coming out of a bioreactor reveal about the cells inside it?

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What can the gases coming out of a bioreactor reveal about the cells inside it? And how can that information help producers improve yields, control feeding, and scale fermentation processes more reliably?

In this episode of the Protein Production Technology International Podcast, Nick Bradley speaks with Holger Mueller, CEO of BlueSens Smart Bioprocess Solutions, about how off-gas analysis can provide deeper insight into cell metabolism and help operators make better decisions throughout fermentation.

Holger explains how respiratory quotient (RQ), carbon dioxide emission rate (CER), and oxygen uptake rate (OUR) can reveal metabolic shifts, substrate depletion, and oxygen limitations. He explores how RQ-based feeding strategies can help prevent overfeeding and underfeeding, reduce unwanted byproducts, and improve process performance compared with conventional feeding profiles.

The conversation also examines the role of process analytical technology (PAT) in scale-up, including how respiratory data can help identify differences in cellular behavior between laboratory and production-scale bioreactors. Holger discusses the importance of collecting meaningful data early in development, translating measurements into biological insights, and maintaining consistent, reliable analysis across different scales.

Finally, Holger shares how BlueSens’ gas analysis technology, including its Blueberry system, is designed to support fermentation monitoring from R&D through commercial production — and why researchers should make better use of the data they are already collecting.

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#Fermentation #PrecisionFermentation #Bioprocessing #OffGasAnalysis #ProcessAnalyticalTechnology #ScaleUp #BlueSens #ProteinProductionTechnology

Creators and Guests

Host

Nick Bradley

Guest

Holger Mueller

What is Protein Production Technology Podcast?

Helping the industry understand how it will revolutionize modern protein production and help build a healthier, more efficient, and sustainable global protein system