Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTRs) are one of the most common reactors for enzymatic reactions, which are crucial in many industrial sectors such as the pharmaceutical and food industries. However, accurately predicting their performance is challenging due to the complex nature of enzyme kinetics—often described by the Michaelis-Menten model—and further complicated by various inhibition phenomena, such as by the substrate or by product. This complexity makes the design, optimization, and scale-up of these bioreactors a significant engineering challenge, not only posing an industrial problem but also presenting a hurdle in chemical engineering education. While hands-on laboratory experience is invaluable, the high cost of purchasing and maintaining modern bioreactor systems makes it prohibitive for many universities, creating a gap between theoretical knowledge and practical understanding. To bridge this gap, this work presents the development of a user-friendly and highly accessible simulator for enzymatic CSTRs, built in Microsoft Excel with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). This tool is designed as a dynamic pedagogical aid to support modern teaching methodologies like the flipped classroom and active learning. The interactive interface allows learners to manipulate key parameters—such as residence time, enzyme concentration, and substrate feed—and instantly visualize their impact on reactor performance and substrate conversion, acting as a virtual laboratory. By providing a dynamic, visual, and interactive learning environment, the simulator serves as a powerful, cost-effective tool for universities to enhance their chemical engineering curriculum, promoting a deeper and more durable understanding of reactor design principles.

Keywords: Simulator, CSTR, bioreactor, enzyme kinetics, virtual laboratory, flipped classroom, active learning.