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Microfluidic Picoliter Bioreactor for Microbial Single-cell Analysis: Fabrication, System Setup, and Operation
Published on: December 6, 2013
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Development of Low-Cost Microcontroller-Based Interface for Data Acquisition and Control of Microbioreactor
Abdul Rashid Husain1, Yaser Hadad1, Muhd Nazrul Hisham Zainal Alam2
1Department of Control and Mechatronic Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Journal of Laboratory Automation
|July 18, 2015
Summary
A low-cost microcontroller interface was developed for microbioreactor operation. This system enables parallel operation with high control accuracy and fast response times.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microfluidics
- Instrumentation
Background:
- Microbioreactors are essential for high-throughput biological process development.
- Precise control of parameters like temperature and mixing is crucial for microbioreactor performance.
- Existing control systems can be expensive and complex.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a low-cost microcontroller-based interface for microbioreactor operation.
- To enable precise control of temperature and mixing speed in an 800 µL microbioreactor.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of parallel microbioreactor operation using the developed interface.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an Arduino MEGA 2560 microcontroller for data acquisition and control.
- Designed and integrated sensors and actuators for temperature and mixing speed regulation.
- Developed signal conditioning circuits for accurate data processing.
- Fabricated the microbioreactor using poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(methylmethacrylate).
Main Results:
- Achieved control accuracy with deviations less than 5% of set-point values.
- Demonstrated system response times in the range of a few seconds.
- Successfully operated parallel microbioreactor units with satisfactory performance.
- Validated the low-cost interface's capability for precise microbioreactor control.
Conclusions:
- The proposed microcontroller-based interface offers a cost-effective solution for microbioreactor automation.
- The system provides accurate and responsive control, suitable for parallel operations.
- This development can facilitate wider adoption of microbioreactor technology in research and development.
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