Growth behavior in plant cell cultures based on emissions detected by a multisensor array

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Plant Cell Culture
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Monitoring plant cell cultures is crucial for optimizing production.
• Traditional methods for analyzing plant cell cultures are often time-consuming and lack real-time capabilities.
• Developing novel on-line monitoring tools is essential for process control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a multisensor array (electronic nose) for monitoring plant cell suspension cultures.
• To assess the potential of this technology in predicting key process variables like biomass concentration and secondary metabolite formation.
• To determine if pattern recognition methods can interpret sensor data for process insights.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a multisensor array comprising 19 metal oxide semiconductor sensors and one CO2 sensor.
• Continuously monitored off-gas from *Morinda citrifolia* and *Nicotiana tabacum* cell cultures under batch conditions.
• Applied principal component analysis (PCA) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) for data analysis.

Main Results:

• The electronic nose successfully monitored the progression of both plant cell cultures.
• Principal component analysis and artificial neural networks enabled prediction of biomass concentration.
• The system accurately predicted the formation of the secondary metabolite antraquinone in *M. citrifolia* cultures.

Conclusions:

• Multisensor array technology offers a promising approach for on-line monitoring of plant cell cultures.
• This method facilitates real-time analysis of difficult-to-measure process variables.
• The electronic nose can be a valuable tool for optimizing plant biotechnology processes.