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bioreactor

noun
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bio·​re·​ac·​tor | \ ˌbī-ō-rē-ˈak-tər How to pronounce bioreactor (audio) \

Definition of bioreactor

: a device or apparatus in which living organisms and especially bacteria synthesize useful substances (such as interferon) or break down harmful ones (as in sewage)

Examples of bioreactor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That’s this idea of growing meat from cells in these large bioreactors. — Andrea Michelson, Smithsonian, "What Will Humans Eat on Mars?," 2 Oct. 2019 The exhibit contains several large glass bioreactors, each populated with one of three strains of bacteria. — Paul Vanouse, The Conversation, "An artist’s journey into the science of sweat," 12 Sep. 2019 The cells required for these therapies can be grown in bioreactors in the lab. — Tobias Deuse, The Conversation, "Stem cells could regenerate organs – but only if the body won’t reject them," 19 Aug. 2019 This can also happen while the cells are multiplying in plates or bioreactors outside of the body, giving rise to neoantigens. — Tobias Deuse, The Conversation, "Stem cells could regenerate organs – but only if the body won’t reject them," 19 Aug. 2019 Some of the larger operations have a bioreactor to ferment the waste and produce methanol to fuel generators to produce electricity used in their operation. — WSJ, "Polluting the Mississippi River and the Gulf," 11 July 2019 But the chicken in Bowman’s pan was grown in a bioreactor, not butchered from a bird. — John Birdsall, WSJ, "Is Lab-Grown Meat Ready for Dinner?," 16 Oct. 2018 The last one is bioreactors, or the big tanks that the process happens inside of. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "These are the technology advances that could end animal farming," 9 Nov. 2018 The company uses human stem cells to create bone marrow cells, which would then be put in a bioreactor. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "Department of Defense gives $3.5m to biotech making blood platelets from stem cells," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bioreactor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of bioreactor

1974, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of bioreactor was in 1974

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Last Updated

24 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Bioreactor.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bioreactor. Accessed 18 January 2020.

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More Definitions for bioreactor

bioreactor

noun
bio·​re·​ac·​tor | \ ˌbī-ō-rē-ˈak-tər How to pronounce bioreactor (audio) \

Medical Definition of bioreactor

: a device or apparatus in which living organisms and especially bacteria synthesize useful substances (as interferon) or break down harmful ones (as in sewage)

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