A bioreactor is an engineered system designed to support, automate and control a biologically active environment. The volume of the reactor, suitability for photosynthesizing organisms, level of scalability and control, and the type of installed sensors are all important considerations when choosing bioreactor equipment. Bioreactors are typically used for biomass such as cell culture, microbial culture, biopharmaceutical, and chemical development processes. They are also used for photosynthesizing commercial organisms such as algae and bacteria and fermentation applications.