Fermenter
date: label: date made
content: 1983-03-23
name: label: user
content: Genentech, Inc.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This fermenter was used at Genentech during the early 1980s to grow recombinant bacteria for the production of proteins to be used as medicine. Recombinant bacteria have been genetically altered in a way that makes them capable of producing proteins they wouldn’t naturally produce.
label: Description (Brief)
content: To begin the production process, this fifteen-liter stainless steel tank was seeded with a small sample of recombinant bacteria. The tank provided an environment that encourages bacteria to grow and multiply by controlling the steam, water, temperature, and pressure in the tank. Below the tank is an agitation mechanism, that “stirred” the bacteria, ensuring even access to resources. When the bacteria grew to a number where they filled the tank, they were transferred to a larger fermentation tank as part of an industrial scale-up process.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: used
content: United States: California, South San Francisco
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Biological Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Biotechnology and Genetics
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Genentech
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2012.0198.01
label: accession number
content: 2012.0198
label: catalog number
content: 2012.0198.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: fermenter
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 43 in x 25 1/2 in x 30 in; 109.22 cm x 64.77 cm x 76.2 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: crate: 56 in x 40 1/2 in x 37 1/2 in; 142.24 cm x 102.87 cm x 95.25 cm