A hairy root line from Catharanthus roseus was cultured in a 14 l bioreactor. Nitrate and phosphate uptakes were similar to the same root line cultured in a 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask. However, sucrose consumption rate was slower in roots cultured in the bioreactor. These results show that it is feasible to upgrade this hairy root line to bioreactor level and, although carbon utilization has to be improved, ajmalicine and catharanthine were still produced and were retained within the biomass tissue.