Microfabricated bioreactor devices for bioprocess development
Event details
| Date | 31.01.2014 |
| Hour | 13:00 › 14:00 |
| Speaker |
Dr Nicolas Szita University College London, Department of Biochemical Engineering, United Kingdom |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
ABSTRACT :
Over the last ten years, bioreactor miniaturisation has made significant progress in traditional biotechnology and has changed the way early stage process development can be approached. Key advantages that make microfabricated bioreactors a cost-effective proposition for early bioprocess development include: significant reduction in reagent use, real-time monitoring and control of process variables, ease of sterilisation via disposable polymer technology, reduced labour due to automation, and the capability to rapidly test different processing conditions. In my presentation, I will highlight these advances and demonstrate how microfabricated bioreactors will make an impact in emerging areas for bioprocessing.
For cell therapy, the development of tightly controlled culture processes will be crucial for the clinical and commercial use of pluripotent cells, and novel tools are direly needed. To address this, we have developed a unique microfabricated cell culture device (‘micro bioreactor’) which uses microfluidic approaches to control the microenvironment of the cells, and which maintains a link with traditional small-scale culture devices for validation and scale-up studies. Analytical methods are integrated with the device to monitor cell culture growth online, generating robust quantitative data suitable for process documentation or evaluation of experimental outcomes. We have tested the device using human and mouse embryonic stem cell expansion protocols as a model system.
In synthetic biology, the key challenge will be to achieve manufacturability of the many engineered cells that this emerging field endeavours to produce. In my group, a microfabricated bioreactor was developed which allows controlled exposure of de novo synthesised expression elements to defined growth conditions. This so-called micro-chemostat contains a novel electro-magnetic stirrer, real-time monitoring of growth conditions and fluorescent gene product expression, and a demonstrator multiplexed system has been established. In ongoing work, the capability of this micro-chemostat for rapid acquisition of design-relevant gene expression parameters in statistical depth is explored for the gram-positive S. carnosus as a chassis for lantibiotic producing genes within the framework of a European project.A
Over the last ten years, bioreactor miniaturisation has made significant progress in traditional biotechnology and has changed the way early stage process development can be approached. Key advantages that make microfabricated bioreactors a cost-effective proposition for early bioprocess development include: significant reduction in reagent use, real-time monitoring and control of process variables, ease of sterilisation via disposable polymer technology, reduced labour due to automation, and the capability to rapidly test different processing conditions. In my presentation, I will highlight these advances and demonstrate how microfabricated bioreactors will make an impact in emerging areas for bioprocessing.
For cell therapy, the development of tightly controlled culture processes will be crucial for the clinical and commercial use of pluripotent cells, and novel tools are direly needed. To address this, we have developed a unique microfabricated cell culture device (‘micro bioreactor’) which uses microfluidic approaches to control the microenvironment of the cells, and which maintains a link with traditional small-scale culture devices for validation and scale-up studies. Analytical methods are integrated with the device to monitor cell culture growth online, generating robust quantitative data suitable for process documentation or evaluation of experimental outcomes. We have tested the device using human and mouse embryonic stem cell expansion protocols as a model system.
In synthetic biology, the key challenge will be to achieve manufacturability of the many engineered cells that this emerging field endeavours to produce. In my group, a microfabricated bioreactor was developed which allows controlled exposure of de novo synthesised expression elements to defined growth conditions. This so-called micro-chemostat contains a novel electro-magnetic stirrer, real-time monitoring of growth conditions and fluorescent gene product expression, and a demonstrator multiplexed system has been established. In ongoing work, the capability of this micro-chemostat for rapid acquisition of design-relevant gene expression parameters in statistical depth is explored for the gram-positive S. carnosus as a chassis for lantibiotic producing genes within the framework of a European project.A
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- EPFL / STI / IMT - Nico de Rooij