bioreactor

noun bio·re·ac·tor \ ˌbī-ō-rē-ˈak-tər \

|Updated on: 14 May 2018

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)

Recent Examples of bioreactor from the Web

The 113-acre estate outside of Healdsburg, which Silver Oak hopes will earn platinum certification for energy efficiency, features 2,595 solar panels and a membrane bioreactor for wastewater treatment.

— urmila ramakrishnan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Free tastings cap North Bay’s rich wine scene," 19 Apr. 2018
To aid evaporation, Williams installed an an ultrasonic fogger inside the bioreactor.

— howie khan, WSJ, "A Fresh Take on Liquor From Two Noma Alums," 25 Apr. 2018
The bioreactor works using a combination of filtration and wastewater treatment.

— john king, San Francisco Chronicle, "Salesforce Tower to save water with recycling plan," 11 Jan. 2018
In a mini-bioreactor that simulates C. diff infection in the bowels, the RT078 elbowed out the mutant when trehalose was present at low doses.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Mysterious explosion of a deadly plague may come down to a sugar in ice cream," 10 Jan. 2018
But the Raccoon River is imperiled, and a bioreactor here and a wetland there is just a drop in the bucket.

— National Geographic, "The Simple River-Cleaning Tactics That Big Farms Ignore," 7 Dec. 2017
All of a sudden bioreactors and other equipment have become available for cheap.

— beth kowitt, Fortune, "Why Fermentation Is the Future of Food Tech," 19 Dec. 2017
Miller Creek watershed supporters hope to raise $100,000 in the months ahead to help farmers plant cover crops, build bioreactors and tackle other conservation practices that will reduce runoff, reported the Des Moines Register .

— donnelle eller, The Seattle Times, "Iowa water quality group fundraising to reduce runoff," 9 Dec. 2017
The scientists put the bacteria in a coffee-cup-sized bioreactor along with water and an electric water splitter.

— emily matchar, Smithsonian, "Scientists Make Food From Bacteria, Water, Electricity, and a Whole Lot of Patience," 15 Aug. 2017

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.

First Known Use of bioreactor

1974

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Medical Dictionary

bioreactor

noun bio·re·ac·tor \ ˌbī-ō-rē-ˈak-tər \

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)