Characterization of an acoustic system attached to a bioreactor to scale-up the biological effects of sounds on submerged microorganisms

The biotechnology industry, with a market value of US$1.38 trillion, has a significant need to optimize production processes for high-value molecules. Sound presents a promising alternative for biotechnological process optimization due to its cost-effectiveness and lack of waste generation. However, its potential remains underexplored because the biological effects lack consensus, primarily due to the focus on biological outcomes rather than stimulus standardization. In this work, we designed a system using an electroacoustic speaker—a point-source speaker with an inverted conical shape adapted to a commercially available bioreactor—capable of generating a flat frequency response independent of size, shape, or material. The results demonstrate the feasibility of employing such acoustic systems as an induction method in bioreactors, whether at pilot or large scale, to regulate biomass growth or metabolite production, including high-value recombinant proteins.