A new wireless system for decentralised measurement of physiological parameters from shake flasks

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Microbial Cultivation
• Biosensing Technology

Background:

• Shake flasks are common for microbial cultures due to cost and ease of use.
• Researchers often overlook oxygen limitation and overflow metabolism in shake flask cultures.
• Wireless sensing offers enhanced control and quality assessment for cultivation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel wireless system for monitoring pH and dissolved oxygen in shake flasks.
• To demonstrate the system's capability for real-time data acquisition and transmission.
• To showcase applications in optimizing microbial growth conditions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a wireless sensor system for standard pH and oxygen probes.
• Implementation of long-range data transmission (over 100 meters) in laboratory settings.
• Application of the system to monitor Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris cultivations.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated severe oxygen limitation and acidification in standard E. coli shake flask cultures.
• Enabled continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in Pichia pastoris cultures fed with methanol.
• Achieved 40% higher cell density by optimizing methanol feeding to prevent starvation.

Conclusions:

• The wireless system facilitates centralized monitoring of decentralized shake flask cultures.
• It is effective for real-time tracking of pH and dissolved oxygen, crucial for cultivation control.
• The technology is adaptable to various sensors and larger-scale bioreactor applications.