Patent ID: 8007647

Claim:
A separative bioreactor comprising: (a) an anode and a cathode, (b) a plurality of reaction chambers each having an inlet and an outlet and each including a porous solid ion exchange wafer having ion-exchange resins, each of the reaction chambers being interleaved between either (i) a cation exchange membrane and a bipolar membrane or (ii) an anion exchange membrane and a bipolar exchange membrane, (c) a plurality of product chambers each having an inlet and an outlet and separated from one of the reaction chambers by either a cation or an anion exchange membrane, (d) recirculation mechanism for transporting material between the reaction chamber inlets and outlets and for transporting product between the product chamber inlets and outlets, and (e) mechanism for supplying an electric potential between the anode and the cathode causing ions to be transported between chambers, whereby counterions retained or produced in each of the reaction chambers during the production of an ionizable organic product including product ions combine with oppositely charged ions to form molecules some or all of which are transported by said recirculation mechanism to reaction chamber inlets while product ions are transported into an adjacent product chamber to combine with oppositely charged ions to form product in a product stream exiting the product chamber outlets continuously recirculated to the product chamber inlets to increase the concentration of product in the product stream; wherein bipolar membranes are positioned intermediate each anode or cathode and the adjacent chamber.