Design and performance of a 24-station high throughput microbioreactor

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Microbioreactors are essential for high-throughput bioprocessing.
• Developing scalable and efficient microbioreactor systems is crucial for optimizing bioprocesses.
• Non-invasive monitoring techniques enhance process control and data acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and evaluate two prototype 24-unit microbioreactors.
• To compare the merits of a well-plate-based design versus a discrete-unit design.
• To demonstrate the capability for simultaneous, non-invasive monitoring and control of microbial fermentations.

Main Methods:

• Development of two distinct 24-unit microbioreactor prototypes.
• Utilization of non-invasive optical sensors for real-time pH and dissolved oxygen monitoring.
• Cultivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in both microbioreactor systems.
• Demonstration of dissolved oxygen control at the milliliter scale.

Main Results:

• Both microbioreactor designs exhibited unique advantages and yielded comparable results.
• Successful execution of 24 simultaneous fermentations with real-time monitoring.
• Effective dissolved oxygen control was achieved in milliliter-scale cultures.
• High-quality, high-throughput bioprocessing was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The developed microbioreactors offer a robust platform for small-scale bioprocessing.
• Insights into operational parameters at small scale were gained, aiding process optimization.
• The systems facilitate high-throughput screening and development in biotechnology.