Batch culture and Continuous culture are types of Bioprocess.

In a batch process, all nutrients are provided at the beginning of the cultivation, without adding any more in the subsequent bioprocess. During the entire bioprocess, no additional nutrients are added – just control elements such as gases, acids and bases; it is a closed system. The bioprocess then lasts until the nutrients are consumed. This strategy is suitable for rapid experiments such as strain characterization or the optimization of nutrient medium. The disadvantage of this convenient method is that the biomass and product yields are limited. Since the carbon source and/or oxygen transfer are usually the limiting factor, the microorganisms are not in the exponential growth phase for a long time.

After a batch growth phase, an equilibrium is established with respect to a particular component (also called steady state). Under these conditions, as much fresh culture medium is added, as it is removed (chemostat). These bioprocesses are referred to as continuous cultures, and are particularly suitable when an excess of nutrients would result in inhibition due to e.g. toxin build up or excessive heating. Other advantages of this method include reduced product inhibition and an improved space-time yield. When medium is removed, cells are harvested, which is why the inflow and outflow rates must be less than the doubling time of the microorganisms. Alternatively, the cells can be retained in a wide variety of ways (for example, in a spin filter), which is called perfusion. In a continuous process, the space-time yield of the bioreactor can be even further improved compared to that of a fed-batch process. However, the long cultivation period also increases the risk of contamination and long-term changes in the cultures. Moreover, continuous processes are ideal tools for gaining a better understanding of the process, since all process parameters remain constant when the system is operating correctly.

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