Production of Oncolytic Adenovirus and Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Single-Use, Vertical-Wheel Bioreactor System: Impact of Bioreactor Design on Performance of Microcarrier-Based Cell Culture Processes

This publication presents the first experimental characterization of PBS Vertical-Wheel® bioreactors using Power number versus Reynolds number analysis, a standard engineering framework for evaluating mixing systems. The authors developed and validated a gravimetric method for measuring power draw by comparing results against a conventional baffled stirred-tank bioreactor equipped with a Rushton impeller. The method was then applied to PBS 0.5 L, 3 L, and 15 L Vertical-Wheel bioreactors. Results defined laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow regimes and demonstrated consistent scaling behavior across bioreactor sizes. Power numbers in the turbulent regime remained relatively low and similar across scales, supporting the geometric consistency of the platform. The study provides engineering data useful for bioreactor characterization, computational fluid dynamics validation, energy dissipation analysis, and scale-up of cell-culture processes using Vertical-Wheel technology.