Implementation of a Macroporous Polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate Cryogel-Based Mini-Bioreactor System to Improve...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Bioprocess Engineering
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are crucial in diagnosing and treating diseases.
• Increasing market value of mAbs drives demand for large-scale production.
• Disposable cryogels offer a promising matrix for hybridoma cell culture in bioreactors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a gelatin-immobilized polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate-based cryogel.
• To develop a mini-bioreactor system for continuous mAb production using hybridoma cells.
• To evaluate the efficiency of the cryogel bioreactor for mAb generation.

Main Methods:

• A gelatin-immobilized polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate cryogel material was synthesized.
• A mini-bioreactor was established for culturing immobilized hybridoma cells (1B4A2D5 clone).
• Continuous culture was maintained for 25 days with regular medium refreshment.

Main Results:

• Hybridoma cells successfully attached to the cryogel matrix within 12 hours.
• Continuous operation for 25 days yielded a maximum mAb concentration of 310.59 µg/mL on day 17.
• During the exponential phase, mAb production rate was 55.61 µg/mL/day.

Conclusions:

• The cryogel bioreactor demonstrated efficient continuous monoclonal antibody production.
• Cumulative mAb yield was 7.7 times higher than T-flask batch cultivation.
• The developed system is suitable for efficient, large-scale mAb manufacturing.