Research Products | Bio-Castle

SBP Capsules

Encapsulate your own microorganism cultures in a confined medium protected by a microfiltration membrane.

Get your SBP capsules research kit which includes 50 SBP capsules for exploring the capabilities of your own microorganism cultures.

The SBP capsules allow us to adapt and accomplish sufficient biomass of selected bacterial culture in a suspended form. The SBP capsules are coated with a semi-permeable membrane, enabling only dissolved molecules to traverse across the membrane, while keeping the microorganisms inside the capsule at favorable growth conditions. Microorganism cultures will grow inside a confined environment for a period of up to 2 months.

The SBP has found applications in many fields including wastewater treatment, fermentation, microorganism interactions and microbial ecology. BioCastle is offers researchers a "ready to use" encapsulation method for the implementation of their own bacterial culture (Macro-capsule, 2.5 cm long).

Testimonials

As part of synthetic Biology's "POC" in a project to make Honey without Bees, my team needed to ensure that an engineered bacteria could sense molecule concentration in the honey production process. We needed to enable the transfer of molecules, such as hydrogen peroxide and selected proteins, between the "unprocessed honey mixture" and the engineered bacteria membranes. Another requirement is to separate the bacteria at the end of the process.

To overcome these obstacles, we approached Bio-castle. Bio-castle equipped us with a unique capsule that entraps the bacteria inside a membrane, which acts as a selective barrier separating the bacteria from the processed honey mixture. the microorganisms in the honey process are maintained in a distinct volume, while the secreted enzymes are defused into the external solution, and small molecules, such as hydrogen peroxide, can enter the capsule. Therefore, the bacteria can "sense" the mixture and activate the genes we have designed to secrete enzymes according to the mixture status. At the end of the enzymatic process, we can pull out the capsules from the sugar mixture to get a bacteria-free solution.

The capsules were very convenient to work with - and the company has supported any subject that came up. I can say for sure - our system could not be complete without the Bio-castle capsule, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with the company.

Asaf Licht, BeeFree Project

The ever-growing need for water treatment solutions, in advanced waste water treatment plants for example, have led to innovative solutions. One of these solution is the use of Small Bioreactors Platform (SBP) technology, where tailored biological agents are trapped inside confide cellulose capsules. The biological activity of such SBP capsule was studied with emphasis to different arrays and flow type. This innovative solution can be modified to meet both the bio-reaction requirements and the flow regimen, i.e. natural or forced flow. The SBP capsules involves multi-disciplinary study, including biology, materials and process engineering. Thus it is highly recommended solution.

Dr. Ran Suckeveriene Faculty Member Department of Water industry engineering, Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel

The technology is a game changing technology, which may effects on many environmental implications.

Prof. Dror Avisar, Director of the Water Research Center, Tel Aviv University, Israel

During the past 2 years, I had studied with Ofir the SBP technology that he developed for bio-degradation of trace organic compounds especially, for difficult industrial wastewater and also we combined studies on reactive species with bio-degradation processes. The technology is capable to treat selectively contaminants in a relatively short hydraulic retention time, enabling the technology be applicable for full configuration treatment. Ofir is an "out-of-the-box" researcher and friend and we enjoy imagining and exploring crazy scientific ideas and combinations, and that's why it's a lot of fun with him.

Prof. Hadas Mamane Steindel, School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Israel

My group tested the SBP technology under lab conditions and we were able to biodegrade a very high concentration of phenols. The SBP technology protects the encapsulated microbes and gives them better conditions to produce various enzymes to biodegrade various toxic compounds. Therefore, I have the pleasure to recommend the promising technology of SBP.

Prof. Hassan Azaizeh, R&D Galilee Society, Israel

I have used the SBP capsules to test the BTEX degradation ability of an encapsulated Comamonadaceae bacterium. Previously the BTEX-degradation capacity of the test organism was also determined in planktonic cultures. In both cases high BTEX-degradation capacity of the bacterium have been recorded. There was no difference between the BTEX biodegradation efficiency of the SBP encapsulated and planktonic bacteria. SBP capsules are innovative bioreactor platforms in which bacteria can exert their beneficial metabolic properties in a protected environment. I am more than convinced that in the future SBPs will be successfuly used by environmental protection specialists in the field of bioremediation.

Tibor Benedek, PhD, Research Associate, Szent Istv?n University, Hungary, Regional University Centre of Excellence