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Li B, Mao S, Zhang C, Xu T, Ma X, Lin H, Yin H, Qiu Y. Rapid anaerobic culture and reaction kinetic study of anammox bacteria on microfluidic chip. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 396:130422. [PMID: 38320714 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Anammox bacteria are being increasingly investigated as part of an emerging nitrogen removal technology. However, due to the difficulty in culturing, current understanding of their behavior is limited. In this study, anaerobic microfluidic chips were used to study anammox bacteria, showing great advantages over reactors. On-chip fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed the relative abundance of free form anammox bacteria increased by 56.1 % after one week's culture, an increase that is three times higher than that of bioreactor (17.1 %). For granular form cultures, the nitrogen removal load reached 2.34 ∼ 2.51 kg-N/(m3·d), which was also substantially higher than the bioreactor (∼1.22 kg-N/(m3·d)). Furthermore, studying the kinetics of nitrite inhibition of granular sludge with different particle sizes (100-900 μm) showed that the maximum ammonia load and the nitrite semi-saturation coefficient noticeably decreased for smaller particle sizes. These results illustrate the usefulness of the microfluidic method for in-depth understanding anammox process and its implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Siyuan Mao
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tiansi Xu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xueyan Ma
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hai Lin
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Huabing Yin
- James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
| | - Yong Qiu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Blöbaum L, Torello Pianale L, Olsson L, Grünberger A. Quantifying microbial robustness in dynamic environments using microfluidic single-cell cultivation. Microb Cell Fact 2024; 23:44. [PMID: 38336674 PMCID: PMC10854032 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02318-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microorganisms must respond to changes in their environment. Analysing the robustness of functions (i.e. performance stability) to such dynamic perturbations is of great interest in both laboratory and industrial settings. Recently, a quantification method capable of assessing the robustness of various functions, such as specific growth rate or product yield, across different conditions, time frames, and populations has been developed for microorganisms grown in a 96-well plate. In micro-titer-plates, environmental change is slow and undefined. Dynamic microfluidic single-cell cultivation (dMSCC) enables the precise maintenance and manipulation of microenvironments, while tracking single cells over time using live-cell imaging. Here, we combined dMSCC and a robustness quantification method to a pipeline for assessing performance stability to changes occurring within seconds or minutes. RESULTS Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK113-7D, harbouring a biosensor for intracellular ATP levels, was exposed to glucose feast-starvation cycles, with each condition lasting from 1.5 to 48 min over a 20 h period. A semi-automated image and data analysis pipeline was developed and applied to assess the performance and robustness of various functions at population, subpopulation, and single-cell resolution. We observed a decrease in specific growth rate but an increase in intracellular ATP levels with longer oscillation intervals. Cells subjected to 48 min oscillations exhibited the highest average ATP content, but the lowest stability over time and the highest heterogeneity within the population. CONCLUSION The proposed pipeline enabled the investigation of function stability in dynamic environments, both over time and within populations. The strategy allows for parallelisation and automation, and is easily adaptable to new organisms, biosensors, cultivation conditions, and oscillation frequencies. Insights on the microbial response to changing environments will guide strain development and bioprocess optimisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Luca Torello Pianale
- Industrial Biotechnology Division, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Lisbeth Olsson
- Industrial Biotechnology Division, Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
- Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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3
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Pore AA, Kamyabi N, Bithi SS, Ahmmed SM, Vanapalli SA. Single-Cell Proliferation Microfluidic Device for High Throughput Investigation of Replicative Potential and Drug Resistance of Cancer Cells. Cell Mol Bioeng 2023; 16:443-457. [PMID: 38099214 PMCID: PMC10716102 DOI: 10.1007/s12195-023-00773-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cell proliferation represents a major hallmark of cancer biology, and manifests itself in the assessment of tumor growth, drug resistance and metastasis. Tracking cell proliferation or cell fate at the single-cell level can reveal phenotypic heterogeneity. However, characterization of cell proliferation is typically done in bulk assays which does not inform on cells that can proliferate under given environmental perturbations. Thus, there is a need for single-cell approaches that allow longitudinal tracking of the fate of a large number of individual cells to reveal diverse phenotypes. Methods We fabricated a new microfluidic architecture for high efficiency capture of single tumor cells, with the capacity to monitor cell divisions across multiple daughter cells. This single-cell proliferation (SCP) device enabled the quantification of the fate of more than 1000 individual cancer cells longitudinally, allowing comprehensive profiling of the phenotypic heterogeneity that would be otherwise masked in standard cell proliferation assays. We characterized the efficiency of single cell capture and demonstrated the utility of the SCP device by exposing MCF-7 breast tumor cells to different doses of the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin. Results The single cell trapping efficiency of the SCP device was found to be ~ 85%. At the low doses of doxorubicin (0.01 µM, 0.001 µM, 0.0001 µM), we observed that 50-80% of the drug-treated cells had undergone proliferation, and less than 10% of the cells do not proliferate. Additionally, we demonstrated the potential of the SCP device in circulating tumor cell applications where minimizing target cell loss is critical. We showed selective capture of breast tumor cells from a binary mixture of cells (tumor cells and white blood cells) that was isolated from blood processing. We successfully characterized the proliferation statistics of these captured cells despite their extremely low counts in the original binary suspension. Conclusions The SCP device has significant potential for cancer research with the ability to quantify proliferation statistics of individual tumor cells, opening new avenues of investigation ranging from evaluating drug resistance of anti-cancer compounds to monitoring the replicative potential of patient-derived cells. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12195-023-00773-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adity A. Pore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX USA
| | - Nabiollah Kamyabi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX USA
- Present Address: 10x Genomics, Pleasanton, CA USA
| | - Swastika S. Bithi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX USA
- Present Address: College of Engineering, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX USA
| | - Shamim M. Ahmmed
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX USA
- Present Address: Manufacturing Integration Engineer, Intel Corporation, Hillsboro, OR USA
| | - Siva A. Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX USA
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Henrion L, Martinez JA, Vandenbroucke V, Delvenne M, Telek S, Zicler A, Grünberger A, Delvigne F. Fitness cost associated with cell phenotypic switching drives population diversification dynamics and controllability. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6128. [PMID: 37783690 PMCID: PMC10545768 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41917-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Isogenic cell populations can cope with stress conditions by switching to alternative phenotypes. Even if it can lead to increased fitness in a natural context, this feature is typically unwanted for a range of applications (e.g., bioproduction, synthetic biology, and biomedicine) where it tends to make cellular response unpredictable. However, little is known about the diversification profiles that can be adopted by a cell population. Here, we characterize the diversification dynamics for various systems (bacteria and yeast) and for different phenotypes (utilization of alternative carbon sources, general stress response and more complex development patterns). Our results suggest that the diversification dynamics and the fitness cost associated with cell switching are coupled. To quantify the contribution of the switching cost on population dynamics, we design a stochastic model that let us reproduce the dynamics observed experimentally and identify three diversification regimes, i.e., constrained (at low switching cost), dispersed (at medium and high switching cost), and bursty (for very high switching cost). Furthermore, we use a cell-machine interface called Segregostat to demonstrate that different levels of control can be applied to these diversification regimes, enabling applications involving more precise cellular responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Henrion
- Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Juan Andres Martinez
- Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Vincent Vandenbroucke
- Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Mathéo Delvenne
- Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Samuel Telek
- Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Andrew Zicler
- Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Frank Delvigne
- Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium.
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5
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Sun M, Gao AX, Liu X, Yang Y, Ledesma-Amaro R, Bai Z. High-throughput process development from gene cloning to protein production. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:182. [PMID: 37715258 PMCID: PMC10503041 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02184-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In the post-genomic era, the demand for faster and more efficient protein production has increased, both in public laboratories and industry. In addition, with the expansion of protein sequences in databases, the range of possible enzymes of interest for a given application is also increasing. Faced with peer competition, budgetary, and time constraints, companies and laboratories must find ways to develop a robust manufacturing process for recombinant protein production. In this review, we explore high-throughput technologies for recombinant protein expression and present a holistic high-throughput process development strategy that spans from genes to proteins. We discuss the challenges that come with this task, the limitations of previous studies, and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manman Sun
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214112, China
- Department of Bioengineering and Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alex Xiong Gao
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiuxia Liu
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214112, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Yankun Yang
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214112, China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
- Department of Bioengineering and Imperial College Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Zhonghu Bai
- National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214112, China.
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
- Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China.
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6
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Helleckes LM, Hemmerich J, Wiechert W, von Lieres E, Grünberger A. Machine learning in bioprocess development: from promise to practice. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:817-835. [PMID: 36456404 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fostered by novel analytical techniques, digitalization, and automation, modern bioprocess development provides large amounts of heterogeneous experimental data, containing valuable process information. In this context, data-driven methods like machine learning (ML) approaches have great potential to rationally explore large design spaces while exploiting experimental facilities most efficiently. Herein we demonstrate how ML methods have been applied so far in bioprocess development, especially in strain engineering and selection, bioprocess optimization, scale-up, monitoring, and control of bioprocesses. For each topic, we will highlight successful application cases, current challenges, and point out domains that can potentially benefit from technology transfer and further progress in the field of ML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Helleckes
- Institute for Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Johannes Hemmerich
- Institute for Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- Institute for Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- Institute for Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany; RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 55, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Section III: Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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7
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Cao Q, Huang W, Zhang Z, Chu P, Wei T, Zheng H, Liu C. The Quantification of Bacterial Cell Size: Discrepancies Arise from Varied Quantification Methods. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1246. [PMID: 37374027 DOI: 10.3390/life13061246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The robust regulation of the cell cycle is critical for the survival and proliferation of bacteria. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms regulating the bacterial cell cycle, it is essential to accurately quantify cell-cycle-related parameters and to uncover quantitative relationships. In this paper, we demonstrate that the quantification of cell size parameters using microscopic images can be influenced by software and by the parameter settings used. Remarkably, even if the consistent use of a particular software and specific parameter settings is maintained throughout a study, the type of software and the parameter settings can significantly impact the validation of quantitative relationships, such as the constant-initiation-mass hypothesis. Given these inherent characteristics of microscopic image-based quantification methods, it is recommended that conclusions be cross-validated using independent methods, especially when the conclusions are associated with cell size parameters that were obtained under different conditions. To this end, we presented a flexible workflow for simultaneously quantifying multiple bacterial cell-cycle-related parameters using microscope-independent methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian'andong Cao
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenqi Huang
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Pan Chu
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ting Wei
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hai Zheng
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chenli Liu
- Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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8
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Tanaka D, Ishihara J, Takahashi H, Kobayashi M, Miyazaki A, Kajiya S, Fujita R, Maekawa N, Yamazaki Y, Takaya A, Nakamura Y, Furuya M, Sekiguchi T, Shoji S. High-Efficiency Single-Cell Containment Microdevices Based on Fluid Control. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:mi14051027. [PMID: 37241650 DOI: 10.3390/mi14051027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we developed a comb-shaped microfluidic device that can efficiently trap and culture a single cell (bacterium). Conventional culture devices have difficulty in trapping a single bacterium and often use a centrifuge to push the bacterium into the channel. The device developed in this study can store bacteria in almost all growth channels using the flowing fluid. In addition, chemical replacement can be performed in a few seconds, making this device suitable for culture experiments with resistant bacteria. The storage efficiency of microbeads that mimic bacteria was significantly improved from 0.2% to 84%. We used simulations to investigate the pressure loss in the growth channel. The pressure in the growth channel of the conventional device was more than 1400 PaG, whereas that of the new device was less than 400 PaG. Our microfluidic device was easily fabricated by a soft microelectromechanical systems method. The device was highly versatile and can be applied to various bacteria, such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Tanaka
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Junichi Ishihara
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0856, Japan
| | - Hiroki Takahashi
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0856, Japan
- Molecular Chirality Research Center, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
- Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Masashi Kobayashi
- School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shin-juku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Aya Miyazaki
- School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shin-juku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Satsuki Kajiya
- School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shin-juku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Risa Fujita
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Naoki Maekawa
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Yuriko Yamazaki
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Dermatology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
- Cutaneous Allergy and Host Defense, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Akiko Takaya
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-0856, Japan
- Plant Molecular Science Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
- Department of Natural Products Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8675, Japan
| | - Yuumi Nakamura
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Cutaneous Allergy and Host Defense, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masahiro Furuya
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sekiguchi
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0041, Japan
| | - Shuichi Shoji
- School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shin-juku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
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Reliable cell retention of mammalian suspension cells in microfluidic cultivation chambers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3857. [PMID: 36890160 PMCID: PMC9995442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30297-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Microfluidic cultivation, with its high level of environmental control and spatio-temporal resolution of cellular behavior, is a well-established tool in today's microfluidics. Yet, reliable retention of (randomly) motile cells inside designated cultivation compartments still represents a limitation, which prohibits systematic single-cell growth studies. To overcome this obstacle, current approaches rely on complex multilayer chips or on-chip valves, which makes their application for a broad community of users infeasible. Here, we present an easy-to-implement cell retention concept to withhold cells inside microfluidic cultivation chambers. By introducing a blocking structure into a cultivation chamber's entrance and nearly closing it, cells can be manually pushed into the chamber during loading procedures but are unable to leave it autonomously in subsequent long-term cultivation. CFD simulations as well as trace substance experiments confirm sufficient nutrient supply within the chamber. Through preventing recurring cell loss, growth data obtained from Chinese hamster ovary cultivation on colony level perfectly match data determined from single-cell data, which eventually allows reliable high throughput studies of single-cell growth. Due to its transferability to other chamber-based approaches, we strongly believe that our concept is also applicable for a broad range of cellular taxis studies or analyses of directed migration in basic or biomedical research.
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10
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Täuber S, Grünberger A. Microfluidic single-cell scale-down systems: introduction, application, and future challenges. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2023; 81:102915. [PMID: 36871470 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2023.102915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Performance losses during the scaling-up of bioprocesses from the laboratory to the production scale are common obstacles caused by the formation of concentration gradients in bioreactors. To overcome these obstacles, so-called scale-down bioreactors are used to analyze selected large-scale conditions and are one of the most important predictive tools for the successful transfer of bioprocesses from the lab to the industrial scale. In this regard, cellular behavior is usually measured as an averaged value, neglecting possible cell-to-cell heterogeneity within the culture. In contrast, microfluidic single-cell cultivation (MSCC) systems offer the possibility of understanding cellular processes on a single-cell level. To date, most MSCC systems have a limited choice of cultivation parameters that are not representative of bioprocess-relevant environmental conditions. Herein, we critically review recent advances in MSCC that allow the cultivation and analysis of cells under dynamic (bioprocess-relevant) environmental conditions. Finally, we discuss what technological advances and efforts are needed to bridge the gap between current MSCC systems and the use of these systems as single-cell scale-down devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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11
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Grigorev GV, Lebedev AV, Wang X, Qian X, Maksimov GV, Lin L. Advances in Microfluidics for Single Red Blood Cell Analysis. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:117. [PMID: 36671952 PMCID: PMC9856164 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The utilizations of microfluidic chips for single RBC (red blood cell) studies have attracted great interests in recent years to filter, trap, analyze, and release single erythrocytes for various applications. Researchers in this field have highlighted the vast potential in developing micro devices for industrial and academia usages, including lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip systems. This article critically reviews the current state-of-the-art and recent advances of microfluidics for single RBC analyses, including integrated sensors and microfluidic platforms for microscopic/tomographic/spectroscopic single RBC analyses, trapping arrays (including bifurcating channels), dielectrophoretic and agglutination/aggregation studies, as well as clinical implications covering cancer, sepsis, prenatal, and Sickle Cell diseases. Microfluidics based RBC microarrays, sorting/counting and trapping techniques (including acoustic, dielectrophoretic, hydrodynamic, magnetic, and optical techniques) are also reviewed. Lastly, organs on chips, multi-organ chips, and drug discovery involving single RBC are described. The limitations and drawbacks of each technology are addressed and future prospects are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii V. Grigorev
- Data Science and Information Technology Research Center, Tsinghua Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of California in Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- School of Information Technology, Cherepovets State University, 162600 Cherepovets, Russia
| | - Alexander V. Lebedev
- Machine Building Department, Bauman Moscow State University, 105005 Moscow, Russia
| | - Xiaohao Wang
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiang Qian
- Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - George V. Maksimov
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Physical metallurgy Department, Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education National Research Technological University “MISiS”, 119049 Moscow, Russia
| | - Liwei Lin
- Mechanical Engineering Department, University of California in Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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12
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Blöbaum L, Haringa C, Grünberger A. Microbial lifelines in bioprocesses: From concept to application. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 62:108071. [PMID: 36464144 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Bioprocesses are scaled up for the production of large product quantities. With larger fermenter volumes, mixing becomes increasingly inefficient and environmental gradients get more prominent than in smaller scales. Environmental gradients have an impact on the microorganism's metabolism, which makes the prediction of large-scale performance difficult and can lead to scale-up failure. A promising approach for improved understanding and estimation of dynamics of microbial populations in large-scale bioprocesses is the analysis of microbial lifelines. The lifeline of a microbe in a bioprocess is the experience of environmental gradients from a cell's perspective, which can be described as a time series of position, environment and intracellular condition. Currently, lifelines are predominantly determined using models with computational fluid dynamics, but new technical developments in flow-following sensor particles and microfluidic single-cell cultivation open the door to a more interdisciplinary concept. We critically review the current concepts and challenges in lifeline determination and application of lifeline analysis, as well as strategies for the integration of these techniques into bioprocess development. Lifelines can contribute to a successful scale-up by guiding scale-down experiments and identifying strain engineering targets or bioreactor optimisations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Cees Haringa
- Bioprocess Engineering, Applied Sciences/Biotechnology, TU, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany; Microsystems in Bioprocess Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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13
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Scherr T, Seiffarth J, Wollenhaupt B, Neumann O, Schilling MP, Kohlheyer D, Scharr H, Nöh K, Mikut R. microbeSEG: A deep learning software tool with OMERO data management for efficient and accurate cell segmentation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277601. [PMID: 36445903 PMCID: PMC9707790 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In biotechnology, cell growth is one of the most important properties for the characterization and optimization of microbial cultures. Novel live-cell imaging methods are leading to an ever better understanding of cell cultures and their development. The key to analyzing acquired data is accurate and automated cell segmentation at the single-cell level. Therefore, we present microbeSEG, a user-friendly Python-based cell segmentation tool with a graphical user interface and OMERO data management. microbeSEG utilizes a state-of-the-art deep learning-based segmentation method and can be used for instance segmentation of a wide range of cell morphologies and imaging techniques, e.g., phase contrast or fluorescence microscopy. The main focus of microbeSEG is a comprehensible, easy, efficient, and complete workflow from the creation of training data to the final application of the trained segmentation model. We demonstrate that accurate cell segmentation results can be obtained within 45 minutes of user time. Utilizing public segmentation datasets or pre-labeling further accelerates the microbeSEG workflow. This opens the door for accurate and efficient data analysis of microbial cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Scherr
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- * E-mail: (TS); (KN); (RM)
| | - Johannes Seiffarth
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- Computational Systems Biology (AVT.CSB), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Bastian Wollenhaupt
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Oliver Neumann
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Marcel P. Schilling
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Dietrich Kohlheyer
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Hanno Scharr
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Simulation, IAS-8: Data Analytics and Machine Learning, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Katharina Nöh
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- * E-mail: (TS); (KN); (RM)
| | - Ralf Mikut
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
- * E-mail: (TS); (KN); (RM)
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14
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Recent advances of integrated microfluidic systems for fungal and bacterial analysis. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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15
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Hartmann FSF, Udugama IA, Seibold GM, Sugiyama H, Gernaey KV. Digital models in biotechnology: Towards multi-scale integration and implementation. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 60:108015. [PMID: 35781047 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Industrial biotechnology encompasses a large area of multi-scale and multi-disciplinary research activities. With the recent megatrend of digitalization sweeping across all industries, there is an increased focus in the biotechnology industry on developing, integrating and applying digital models to improve all aspects of industrial biotechnology. Given the rapid development of this field, we systematically classify the state-of-art modelling concepts applied at different scales in industrial biotechnology and critically discuss their current usage, advantages and limitations. Further, we critically analyzed current strategies to couple cell models with computational fluid dynamics to study the performance of industrial microorganisms in large-scale bioprocesses, which is of crucial importance for the bio-based production industries. One of the most challenging aspects in this context is gathering intracellular data under industrially relevant conditions. Towards comprehensive models, we discuss how different scale-down concepts combined with appropriate analytical tools can capture intracellular states of single cells. We finally illustrated how the efforts could be used to develop digitals models suitable for both cell factory design and process optimization at industrial scales in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian S F Hartmann
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 223, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Isuru A Udugama
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8656 Tokyo, Japan; Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 228 A, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Gerd M Seibold
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 223, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hirokazu Sugiyama
- Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8656 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Krist V Gernaey
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, Building 228 A, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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16
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Henrion L, Delvenne M, Bajoul Kakahi F, Moreno-Avitia F, Delvigne F. Exploiting Information and Control Theory for Directing Gene Expression in Cell Populations. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:869509. [PMID: 35547126 PMCID: PMC9081792 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.869509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial populations can adapt to adverse environmental conditions either by appropriately sensing and responding to the changes in their surroundings or by stochastically switching to an alternative phenotypic state. Recent data point out that these two strategies can be exhibited by the same cellular system, depending on the amplitude/frequency of the environmental perturbations and on the architecture of the genetic circuits involved in the adaptation process. Accordingly, several mitigation strategies have been designed for the effective control of microbial populations in different contexts, ranging from biomedicine to bioprocess engineering. Technically, such control strategies have been made possible by the advances made at the level of computational and synthetic biology combined with control theory. However, these control strategies have been applied mostly to synthetic gene circuits, impairing the applicability of the approach to natural circuits. In this review, we argue that it is possible to expand these control strategies to any cellular system and gene circuits based on a metric derived from this information theory, i.e., mutual information (MI). Indeed, based on this metric, it should be possible to characterize the natural frequency of any gene circuits and use it for controlling gene circuits within a population of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Henrion
- Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Mathéo Delvenne
- Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Fatemeh Bajoul Kakahi
- Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Fabian Moreno-Avitia
- Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Frank Delvigne
- Microbial Processes and Interactions (MiPI), Terra Research and Teaching Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
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17
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Smaluch K, Wollenhaupt B, Steinhoff H, Kohlheyer D, Grünberger A, Dusny C. Assessing the growth kinetics and stoichiometry of Escherichia coli at the single-cell level. Eng Life Sci 2022; 23:e2100157. [PMID: 36619887 PMCID: PMC9815083 DOI: 10.1002/elsc.202100157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Microfluidic cultivation and single-cell analysis are inherent parts of modern microbial biotechnology and microbiology. However, implementing biochemical engineering principles based on the kinetics and stoichiometry of growth in microscopic spaces remained unattained. We here present a novel integrated framework that utilizes distinct microfluidic cultivation technologies and single-cell analytics to make the fundamental math of process-oriented biochemical engineering applicable at the single-cell level. A combination of non-invasive optical cell mass determination with sub-pg sensitivity, microfluidic perfusion cultivations for establishing physiological steady-states, and picoliter batch reactors, enabled the quantification of all physiological parameters relevant to approximate a material balance in microfluidic reaction environments. We determined state variables (biomass concentration based on single-cell dry weight and mass density), biomass synthesis rates, and substrate affinities of cells grown in microfluidic environments. Based on this data, we mathematically derived the specific kinetics of substrate uptake and growth stoichiometry in glucose-grown Escherichia coli with single-cell resolution. This framework may initiate microscale material balancing beyond the averaged values obtained from populations as a basis for integrating heterogeneous kinetic and stoichiometric single-cell data into generalized bioprocess models and descriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Smaluch
- Department of Solar Materials – Microscale Analysis and EngineeringHelmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ LeipzigLeizpigGermany
| | - Bastian Wollenhaupt
- Microscale BioengineeringIBG‐1: BiotechnologyForschungszentrum Jülich GmbHJülichGermany
| | - Heiko Steinhoff
- Multiscale BioengineeringFaculty of TechnologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Dietrich Kohlheyer
- Microscale BioengineeringIBG‐1: BiotechnologyForschungszentrum Jülich GmbHJülichGermany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale BioengineeringFaculty of TechnologyBielefeld UniversityBielefeldGermany
| | - Christian Dusny
- Department of Solar Materials – Microscale Analysis and EngineeringHelmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ LeipzigLeizpigGermany
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18
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Ho P, Täuber S, Stute B, Grünberger A, von Lieres E. Microfluidic Reproduction of Dynamic Bioreactor Environment Based on Computational Lifelines. FRONTIERS IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fceng.2022.826485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The biotechnological production of fine chemicals, proteins and pharmaceuticals is usually hampered by loss of microbial performance during scale-up. This challenge is mainly caused by discrepancies between homogeneous environmental conditions at laboratory scale, where bioprocesses are optimized, and inhomogeneous conditions in large-scale bioreactors, where production takes place. Therefore, to improve strain selection and process development, it is of great interest to characterize these fluctuating conditions at large-scale and to study their effects on microbial cells. In this paper, we demonstrate the potential of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of large-scale bioreactors combined with dynamic microfluidic single-cell cultivation (dMSCC). Environmental conditions in a 200 L bioreactor were characterized with CFD simulations. Computational lifelines were determined by combining simulated turbulent multiphase flow, mass transport and particle tracing. Glucose availability for Corynebacterium glutamicum cells was determined. The reactor was simulated with average glucose concentrations of 6 g m−3, 10 g m−3 and 16 g m−3. The resulting computational lifelines, discretized into starvation and abundance regimes, were used as feed profiles for the dMSCC to investigate how varying glucose concentration affects cell physiology and growth rate. In this study, each colony in the dMSCC device represents a single cell as it travels through the reactor. Under oscillating conditions reproduced in the dMSCC device, a decrease in growth rate of about 40% was observed compared to continuous supply with the same average glucose availability. The presented approach provides insights into environmental conditions observed by microorganisms in large-scale bioreactors. It also paves the way for an improved understanding of how inhomogeneous environmental conditions influence cellular physiology, growth and production.
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19
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Fallahi H, Cha H, Adelnia H, Dai Y, Ta HT, Yadav S, Zhang J, Nguyen NT. On-demand deterministic release of particles and cells using stretchable microfluidics. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2022; 7:414-424. [PMID: 35237777 DOI: 10.1039/d1nh00679g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic technologies have been widely used for single-cell studies as they provide facile, cost-effective, and high-throughput evaluations of single cells with great accuracy. Capturing single cells has been investigated extensively using various microfluidic techniques. Furthermore, cell retrieval is crucial for the subsequent study of cells in applications such as drug screening. However, there are no robust methods for the facile release of the captured cells. Therefore, we developed a stretchable microfluidic cell trapper for easy on-demand release of cells in a deterministic manner. The stretchable microdevice consists of several U-shaped microstructures to capture single cells. The gap at the bottom edge of the microstructure broadens when the device is stretched along its width. By tuning the horizontal elongation of the device, ample space is provided to release particle/cell sizes of interest. The performance of the stretchable microdevice was evaluated using particles and cells. A deterministic release of particles was demonstrated using a mixture of 15 μm and 20 μm particles. The retrieval of the 15 μm particles and the 20 μm particles was achieved with elongation lengths of 1 mm and 5 mm, respectively. Two different cell lines, T47D breast cancer cells and J774A.1 macrophages, were employed to characterise the cell release capability of the device. The proposed stretchable micro cell trapper provided a deterministic recovery of the captured cells by adjusting the elongation length of the device. We believe that this stretchable microfluidic platform can provide an alternative method to facilely release trapped cells for subsequent evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedieh Fallahi
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Haotian Cha
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Hossein Adelnia
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Yuchen Dai
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Hang Thu Ta
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Sharda Yadav
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Jun Zhang
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
| | - Nam-Trung Nguyen
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia.
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20
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Maurya R, Gohil N, Bhattacharjee G, Alzahrani KJ, Ramakrishna S, Singh V. Microfluidics for single cell analysis. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2022; 186:203-215. [PMID: 35033285 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Cells have several internal molecules that are present in low amounts and any fluctuation in its number drives a change in cell behavior. These molecules present inside the cells are continuously fluctuating, thus producing noises in the intrinsic environment and thereby directly affecting the cellular behavior. Single-cell analysis using microfluidics is an important tool for monitoring cell behavior by analyzing internal molecules. Several gene circuits have been designed for this purpose that are labeled with fluorescence encoding genes for monitoring cell dynamics and behavior. We discuss herewith designed and fabricated microfluidics devices that are used for trapping and tracking cells under controlled environmental conditions. This chapter highlights microfluidics chip for monitoring cells to promote their basic understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupesh Maurya
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Nisarg Gohil
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Gargi Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Khalid J Alzahrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
| | - Suresh Ramakrishna
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea; College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Vijai Singh
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India.
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21
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Bahnemann J, Grünberger A. Microfluidics in Biotechnology: Overview and Status Quo. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 179:1-16. [DOI: 10.1007/10_2022_206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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22
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Täuber S, Schmitz J, Blöbaum L, Fante N, Steinhoff H, Grünberger A. How to Perform a Microfluidic Cultivation Experiment—A Guideline to Success. BIOSENSORS 2021; 11:bios11120485. [PMID: 34940242 PMCID: PMC8699335 DOI: 10.3390/bios11120485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
As a result of the steadily ongoing development of microfluidic cultivation (MC) devices, a plethora of setups is used in biological laboratories for the cultivation and analysis of different organisms. Because of their biocompatibility and ease of fabrication, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-glass-based devices are most prominent. Especially the successful and reproducible cultivation of cells in microfluidic systems, ranging from bacteria over algae and fungi to mammalians, is a fundamental step for further quantitative biological analysis. In combination with live-cell imaging, MC devices allow the cultivation of small cell clusters (or even single cells) under defined environmental conditions and with high spatio-temporal resolution. Yet, most setups in use are custom made and only few standardised setups are available, making trouble-free application and inter-laboratory transfer tricky. Therefore, we provide a guideline to overcome the most frequently occurring challenges during a MC experiment to allow untrained users to learn the application of continuous-flow-based MC devices. By giving a concise overview of the respective workflow, we give the reader a general understanding of the whole procedure and its most common pitfalls. Additionally, we complement the listing of challenges with solutions to overcome these hurdles. On selected case studies, covering successful and reproducible growth of cells in MC devices, we demonstrate detailed solutions to solve occurring challenges as a blueprint for further troubleshooting. Since developer and end-user of MC devices are often different persons, we believe that our guideline will help to enhance a broader applicability of MC in the field of life science and eventually promote the ongoing advancement of MC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Julian Schmitz
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Niklas Fante
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
| | - Heiko Steinhoff
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; (S.T.); (J.S.); (L.B.); (N.F.); (H.S.)
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
- Correspondence:
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23
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Zhao N, Song J, Zhang H, Lin Y, Han S, Huang Y, Zheng S. Development of a Transcription Factor-Based Diamine Biosensor in Corynebacterium glutamicum. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:3074-3083. [PMID: 34662101 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Diamines serve as major platform chemicals that can be employed to a variety of industrial scenarios, particularly as monomers for polymer synthesis. High-throughput sensors for diamine biosynthesis can greatly improve the biological production of diamines. Here, we identified and characterized a transcription factor-driven biosensor for putrescine and cadaverine in Corynebacterium glutamicum. The transcriptional TetR-family regulatory protein CgmR (CGL2612) is used for the specific detection of diamine compounds. This study also improved the dynamic range and the sensitivity to putrescine by systematically optimizing genetic components of pSenPut. By a single cell-based screening strategy for a library of CgmR with random mutations, this study obtained the most sensitive variant CgmRI152T, which possessed an experimentally determined limit of detection (LoD) of ≤0.2 mM, a K of 11.4 mM, and a utility of 720. Using this highly sensitive putrescine biosensor pSenPutI152T, we demonstrated that CgmRI152T can be used as a sensor to detect putrescine produced biologically in a C. glutamicum system. This high sensitivity and the range of CgmR will be an influential tool for rewiring metabolic circuits and facilitating the directed evolution of recombinant strains toward the biological synthesis of diamine compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Zhao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Research Center of Industrial Enzyme and Green Manufacturing Technology, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Jie Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Research Center of Industrial Enzyme and Green Manufacturing Technology, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Research Center of Industrial Enzyme and Green Manufacturing Technology, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Ying Lin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Research Center of Industrial Enzyme and Green Manufacturing Technology, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Shuangyan Han
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Research Center of Industrial Enzyme and Green Manufacturing Technology, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Huang
- Center for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, P. R. China
| | - Suiping Zheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Research Center of Industrial Enzyme and Green Manufacturing Technology, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
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Schmitz J, Hertel O, Yermakov B, Noll T, Grünberger A. Growth and eGFP Production of CHO-K1 Suspension Cells Cultivated From Single Cell to Laboratory Scale. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:716343. [PMID: 34722476 PMCID: PMC8554123 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.716343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Scaling down bioproduction processes has become a major driving force for more accelerated and efficient process development over the last decades. Especially expensive and time-consuming processes like the production of biopharmaceuticals with mammalian cell lines benefit clearly from miniaturization, due to higher parallelization and increased insights while at the same time decreasing experimental time and costs. Lately, novel microfluidic methods have been developed, especially microfluidic single-cell cultivation (MSCC) devices have been proved to be valuable to miniaturize the cultivation of mammalian cells. So far, growth characteristics of microfluidic cultivated cell lines were not systematically compared to larger cultivation scales; however, validation of a miniaturization tool against initial cultivation scales is mandatory to prove its applicability for bioprocess development. Here, we systematically investigate growth, morphology, and eGFP production of CHO-K1 cells in different cultivation scales ranging from a microfluidic chip (230 nl) to a shake flask (125 ml) and laboratory-scale stirred tank bioreactor (2.0 L). Our study shows a high comparability regarding specific growth rates, cellular diameters, and eGFP production, which proves the feasibility of MSCC as a miniaturized cultivation tool for mammalian cell culture. In addition, we demonstrate that MSCC provides insights into cellular heterogeneity and single-cell dynamics concerning growth and production behavior which, when occurring in bioproduction processes, might severely affect process robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Schmitz
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Oliver Hertel
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Cell Culture Technology, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Boris Yermakov
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Noll
- Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Cell Culture Technology, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.,Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec), Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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25
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Jusková P, Schmitt S, Armbrecht L, Dittrich PS. Microbial factories: monitoring vitamin B 2 production by Escherichia coli in microfluidic cultivation chambers. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:4071-4080. [PMID: 34618882 PMCID: PMC8547325 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00621e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microbial cells represent a standard production host for various important biotechnological products. Production yields can be increased by optimising strains and growth conditions and understanding deviations in production rates over time or within the microbial population. We introduce here microfluidic cultivation chambers for highly parallel studies on microbial cultures, enabling continuous biosynthesis monitoring of the industrially relevant product by Escherichia coli cells. The growth chambers are defined by ring-valves that encapsulate a volume of 200 pL when activated. Bacterial cells, labelled with magnetic beads, are inoculated in a small magnetic trap, positioned in the centre of each chamber. Afterwards, the ring-valves are partially activated, allowing for exchange reagents, such as the addition of fresh media or specific inducers of biosynthesis, while the bacterial cells and their progeny are maintained inside. On this platform, we monitor the production of riboflavin (vitamin B2). We used different variants of a riboflavin-overproducing bacterial strain with different riboflavin production levels and could distinguish them on the level of individual micro-colonies. In addition, we could also observe differences in the bacterial morphology with respect to the production. The presented platform represents a flexible microfluidic tool for further studies of microbial cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Jusková
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bioanalytics Group, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Steven Schmitt
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bioprocess Laboratory, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Armbrecht
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bioanalytics Group, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Petra S Dittrich
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bioanalytics Group, ETH Zürich, Mattenstrasse 26, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland.
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26
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Täuber S, Blöbaum L, Wendisch VF, Grünberger A. Growth Response and Recovery of Corynebacterium glutamicum Colonies on Single-Cell Level Upon Defined pH Stress Pulses. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:711893. [PMID: 34659141 PMCID: PMC8517191 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.711893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria respond to pH changes in their environment and use pH homeostasis to keep the intracellular pH as constant as possible and within a small range. A change in intracellular pH influences enzyme activity, protein stability, trace element solubilities and proton motive force. Here, the species Corynebacterium glutamicum was chosen as a neutralophilic and moderately alkali-tolerant bacterium capable of maintaining an internal pH of 7.5 ± 0.5 in environments with external pH values ranging between 5.5 and 9. In recent years, the phenotypic response of C. glutamicum to pH changes has been systematically investigated at the bulk population level. A detailed understanding of the C. glutamicum cell response to defined short-term pH perturbations/pulses is missing. In this study, dynamic microfluidic single-cell cultivation (dMSCC) was applied to analyze the physiological growth response of C. glutamicum to precise pH stress pulses at the single-cell level. Analysis by dMSCC of the growth behavior of colonies exposed to single pH stress pulses (pH = 4, 5, 10, 11) revealed a decrease in viability with increasing stress duration w. Colony regrowth was possible for all tested pH values after increasing lag phases for which stress durations w were increased from 5 min to 9 h. Furthermore, single-cell analyses revealed heterogeneous regrowth of cells after pH stress, which can be categorized into three physiological states. Cells in the first physiological state continued to grow without interruption after pH stress pulse. Cells in the second physiological state rested for several hours after pH stress pulse before they started to grow again after this lag phase, and cells in the third physiological state did not divide after the pH stress pulse. This study provides the first insights into single-cell responses to acidic and alkaline pH stress by C. glutamicum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Luisa Blöbaum
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Volker F. Wendisch
- CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- Genetics of Prokaryotes, Faculty of Biology, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
- CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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27
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Ji X, Lee YJ, Eyster T, Parrillo A, Galosy S, Ao Z, Patel P, Zhu Y. Characterization of cell cycle and apoptosis in Chinese hamster ovary cell culture using flow cytometry for bioprocess monitoring. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 38:e3211. [PMID: 34549552 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are by far the most important mammalian cell lines used for producing antibodies and other therapeutic proteins. It is critical to fully understand their physiological conditions during a bioprocess in order to achieve the highest productivity and the desired product quality. Flow cytometry technology possesses unique advantages for measuring multiple cellular attributes for a given cell and examining changes in cell culture heterogeneity over time that can be used as metrics for enhanced process understanding and control strategy. Flow cytometry-based assays were utilized to examine the progression of cell cycle and apoptosis in three case studies using different antibody-producing CHO cell lines in both fed-batch and perfusion bioprocesses. In our case studies, we found that G0/G1 phase distribution and early apoptosis accumulation responded to subtle changes in culture conditions, such as pH shifting or momentary glucose depletion. In a perfusion process, flow cytometry provided an insightful understanding of the cell physiological status under a hypothermic condition. More importantly, these changes in cell cycle and apoptosis were not detected by a routine trypan blue exclusion-based cell counting and viability measurement. In summary, integration of flow cytometry into bioprocesses as a process analytical technology tool can be beneficial for establishing optimum process conditions and process control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodan Ji
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Young Je Lee
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tom Eyster
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexis Parrillo
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sybille Galosy
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zhaohui Ao
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Pramthesh Patel
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yuan Zhu
- Biopharm Process Development, GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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28
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Investigating the effect of a monovalent ion on the droplet’s size and distribution in a surfactant-free droplet generation microfluidic chip. J Flow Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41981-021-00185-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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29
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Stallmann D, Göpfert JP, Schmitz J, Grünberger A, Hammer B. Towards an automatic analysis of CHO-K1 suspension growth in microfluidic single-cell cultivation. Bioinformatics 2021; 37:3632-3639. [PMID: 34019074 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btab386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Innovative microfluidic systems carry the promise to greatly facilitate spatio-temporal analysis of single cells under well-defined environmental conditions, allowing novel insights into population heterogeneity and opening new opportunities for fundamental and applied biotechnology. Microfluidics experiments, however, are accompanied by vast amounts of data, such as time series of microscopic images, for which manual evaluation is infeasible due to the sheer number of samples. While classical image processing technologies do not lead to satisfactory results in this domain, modern deep learning technologies such as convolutional networks can be sufficiently versatile for diverse tasks, including automatic cell counting as well as the extraction of critical parameters, such as growth rate. However, for successful training, current supervised deep learning requires label information, such as the number or positions of cells for each image in a series; obtaining these annotations is very costly in this setting. RESULTS We propose a novel machine learning architecture together with a specialized training procedure, which allows us to infuse a deep neural network with human-powered abstraction on the level of data, leading to a high-performing regression model that requires only a very small amount of labeled data. Specifically, we train a generative model simultaneously on natural and synthetic data, so that it learns a shared representation, from which a target variable, such as the cell count, can be reliably estimated. AVAILABILITY The project is cross-platform, open-source and free (MIT licensed) software. We make the source code available at https://github.com/dstallmann/cell_cultivation_analysis; the data set is available at https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/record/2945513.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jan P Göpfert
- Machine Learning Group, Bielefeld University, Germany
| | - Julian Schmitz
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Bielefeld University, Germany
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30
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Yan P, Guo JS, Zhang P, Xiao Y, Li Z, Zhang SQ, Zhang YX, He SX. The role of morphological changes in algae adaptation to nutrient stress at the single-cell level. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:142076. [PMID: 32920391 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Individual cell heterogeneity within a population can be critical to its peculiar function and fate. Conventional algal cell-based assays mainly analyze the average responses from a population of algal cells. Therefore, the mechanisms through which changes in population characteristics are driven by the behavior of single algal cells are still not well understood. Algal cells may modulate their physiology and metabolism by changing their morphology in response to environmental stress. In this study, an algal single-cell culture and analysis system was developed to investigate the potential role of morphological changes by algal cells during adaptation to nutrient stress based on a microwell array chip. The surface-to-volume ratio of Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) and the volume of Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) significantly increased with increasing culture time under nutrient stress. The eccentricity of M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus gradually increased and decreased, respectively, with increasing culture time, indicating that the morphology of M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus became increasingly irregular and regular, respectively, under nutrient stress. There were significant correlations between the morphological characteristics and physiological characteristics of M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus under nutrient stress. In M. aeruginosa, an increased surface-to-volume ratio facilitated a high specific fluorescence intensity, specific Raman intensity, and maximum electron transport rate. In S. obliquus, increased cell volume enhanced nutrient absorption, which facilitated a higher specific growth rate. M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus adopted different adaptation strategies in response to nutrient stress based on morphological changes. These findings facilitate the development of management strategies for controlling harmful cyanobacterial blooms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Yan
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Jin-Song Guo
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
| | - Ping Zhang
- College of Eco-environment Engineering, Guizhou Minzu University, Guizhou 550025, China
| | - Yan Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment of CAS, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Zhe Li
- Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment of CAS, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Shu-Qing Zhang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China
| | - Yu-Xin Zhang
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Shi-Xuan He
- Key Laboratory of Reservoir Aquatic Environment of CAS, Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
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31
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Schmitz J, Täuber S, Westerwalbesloh C, von Lieres E, Noll T, Grünberger A. Development and application of a cultivation platform for mammalian suspension cell lines with single-cell resolution. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 118:992-1005. [PMID: 33200818 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In bioproduction processes, cellular heterogeneity can cause unpredictable process outcomes or even provoke process failure. Still, cellular heterogeneity is not examined systematically in bioprocess research and development. One reason for this shortcoming is the applied average bulk analyses, which are not able to detect cell-to-cell differences. In this study, we present a microfluidic tool for mammalian single-cell cultivation (MaSC) of suspension cells. The design of our platform allows cultivation in highly controllable environments. As a model system, Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) were cultivated over 150 h. Growth behavior was analyzed on a single-cell level and resulted in growth rates between 0.85 and 1.16 day-1 . At the same time, heterogeneous growth and division behavior, for example, unequal division time, as well as rare cellular events like polynucleation or reversed mitosis were observed, which would have remained undetected in a standard population analysis based on average measurements. Therefore, MaSC will open the door for systematic single-cell analysis of mammalian suspension cells. Possible fields of application represent basic research topics like cell-to-cell heterogeneity, clonal stability, pharmaceutical drug screening, and stem cell research, as well as bioprocess related topics such as media development and novel scale-down approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Schmitz
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Christoph Westerwalbesloh
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas Noll
- Cell Culture Technology, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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32
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Täuber S, Golze C, Ho P, von Lieres E, Grünberger A. dMSCC: a microfluidic platform for microbial single-cell cultivation of Corynebacterium glutamicum under dynamic environmental medium conditions. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:4442-4455. [PMID: 33095214 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00711k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In nature and in technical systems, microbial cells are often exposed to rapidly fluctuating environmental conditions. These conditions can vary in quality, e.g., the existence of a starvation zone, and quantity, e.g., the average residence time in this zone. For strain development and process design, cellular response to such fluctuations needs to be systematically analysed. However, the existing methods for physically imitating rapidly changing environmental conditions are limited in spatio-temporal resolution. Hence, we present a novel microfluidic system for cultivation of single cells and small cell clusters under dynamic environmental conditions (dynamic microfluidic single-cell cultivation (dMSCC)). This system enables the control of nutrient availability and composition between two media with second to minute resolution. We validate our technology using the industrially relevant model organism Corynebacterium glutamicum. The organism was exposed to different oscillation frequencies between nutrient excess (feasts) and scarcity (famine). The resulting changes in cellular physiology, such as the colony growth rate and cell morphology, were analysed and revealed significant differences in the growth rate and cell length between the different conditions. dMSCC also allows the application of defined but randomly changing nutrient conditions, which is important for reproducing more complex conditions from natural habitats and large-scale bioreactors. The presented system lays the foundation for the cultivation of cells under complex changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Technical Faculty, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
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33
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Ortseifen V, Viefhues M, Wobbe L, Grünberger A. Microfluidics for Biotechnology: Bridging Gaps to Foster Microfluidic Applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:589074. [PMID: 33282849 PMCID: PMC7691494 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.589074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Microfluidics and novel lab-on-a-chip applications have the potential to boost biotechnological research in ways that are not possible using traditional methods. Although microfluidic tools were increasingly used for different applications within biotechnology in recent years, a systematic and routine use in academic and industrial labs is still not established. For many years, absent innovative, ground-breaking and “out-of-the-box” applications have been made responsible for the missing drive to integrate microfluidic technologies into fundamental and applied biotechnological research. In this review, we highlight microfluidics’ offers and compare them to the most important demands of the biotechnologists. Furthermore, a detailed analysis in the state-of-the-art use of microfluidics within biotechnology was conducted exemplarily for four emerging biotechnological fields that can substantially benefit from the application of microfluidic systems, namely the phenotypic screening of cells, the analysis of microbial population heterogeneity, organ-on-a-chip approaches and the characterisation of synthetic co-cultures. The analysis resulted in a discussion of potential “gaps” that can be responsible for the rare integration of microfluidics into biotechnological studies. Our analysis revealed six major gaps, concerning the lack of interdisciplinary communication, mutual knowledge and motivation, methodological compatibility, technological readiness and missing commercialisation, which need to be bridged in the future. We conclude that connecting microfluidics and biotechnology is not an impossible challenge and made seven suggestions to bridge the gaps between those disciplines. This lays the foundation for routine integration of microfluidic systems into biotechnology research procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Ortseifen
- Proteome and Metabolome Research, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology/CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Martina Viefhues
- Experimental Biophysics and Applied Nanosciences, Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Lutz Wobbe
- Algae Biotechnology and Bioenergy Group, Faculty of Biology, Center for Biotechnology/CeBiTec, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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34
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Rugbjerg P, Olsson L. The future of self-selecting and stable fermentations. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 47:993-1004. [PMID: 33136197 PMCID: PMC7695646 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02325-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Unfavorable cell heterogeneity is a frequent risk during bioprocess scale-up and characterized by rising frequencies of low-producing cells. Low-producing cells emerge by both non-genetic and genetic variation and will enrich due to their higher specific growth rate during the extended number of cell divisions of large-scale bioproduction. Here, we discuss recent strategies for synthetic stabilization of fermentation populations and argue for their application to make cell factory designs that better suit industrial needs. Genotype-directed strategies leverage DNA-sequencing data to inform strain design. Self-selecting phenotype-directed strategies couple high production with cell proliferation, either by redirected metabolic pathways or synthetic product biosensing to enrich for high-performing cell variants. Evaluating production stability early in new cell factory projects will guide heterogeneity-reducing design choices. As good initial metrics, we propose production half-life from standardized serial-passage stability screens and production load, quantified as production-associated percent-wise growth rate reduction. Incorporating more stable genetic designs will greatly increase scalability of future cell factories through sustaining a high-production phenotype and enabling stable long-term production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Rugbjerg
- Enduro Genetics ApS, Copenhagen, Denmark. .,Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Industrial Biotechnology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Lisbeth Olsson
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Industrial Biotechnology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
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35
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Manzoor AA, Romita L, Hwang DK. A review on microwell and microfluidic geometric array fabrication techniques and its potential applications in cellular studies. CAN J CHEM ENG 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/cjce.23875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Ali Manzoor
- Department of Chemical Engineering Ryerson University Toronto Ontario Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology (iBEST) A partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Lauren Romita
- Department of Chemical Engineering Ryerson University Toronto Ontario Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology (iBEST) A partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Dae Kun Hwang
- Department of Chemical Engineering Ryerson University Toronto Ontario Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology (iBEST) A partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
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36
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Dewez F, Oejten J, Henkel C, Hebeler R, Neuweger H, De Pauw E, Heeren RMA, Balluff B. MS Imaging‐Guided Microproteomics for Spatial Omics on a Single Instrument. Proteomics 2020; 20:e1900369. [DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201900369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Dewez
- Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging (M4I) Institute Division of Imaging Mass Spectrometry Maastricht University Universiteitssingel 50 Maastricht 6229 ER The Netherlands
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (MSLab) Department of Chemistry University of Liège Liège 4000 Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | - Edwin De Pauw
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (MSLab) Department of Chemistry University of Liège Liège 4000 Belgium
| | - Ron M. A. Heeren
- Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging (M4I) Institute Division of Imaging Mass Spectrometry Maastricht University Universiteitssingel 50 Maastricht 6229 ER The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin Balluff
- Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging (M4I) Institute Division of Imaging Mass Spectrometry Maastricht University Universiteitssingel 50 Maastricht 6229 ER The Netherlands
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37
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Dusny C, Grünberger A. Microfluidic single-cell analysis in biotechnology: from monitoring towards understanding. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 63:26-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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38
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Guo W, Zhu C, Fu T, Ma Y. Controllable Droplet Coalescence in the T-Junction Microchannel with a Funnel-Typed Expansion Chamber. Ind Eng Chem Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.0c00803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Weixi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
| | - Chunying Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
| | - Taotao Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
| | - Youguang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
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Jian X, Guo X, Wang J, Tan ZL, Xing X, Wang L, Zhang C. Microbial microdroplet culture system (MMC): An integrated platform for automated, high‐throughput microbial cultivation and adaptive evolution. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 117:1724-1737. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.27327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xingjin Jian
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical EngineeringTsinghua University Beijing China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of EducationTsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Xiaojie Guo
- Luoyang TMAXTREE Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Luoyang China
| | - Jia Wang
- Biochemical Engineering Research Group, School of Chemical Engineering and TechnologyXi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an China
| | - Zheng Lin Tan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical EngineeringTsinghua University Beijing China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of EducationTsinghua University Beijing China
- School of Life Science and TechnologyTokyo Institute of Technology, Midori‐ku Yokohama Kanagawa Prefecture Japan
| | - Xin‐hui Xing
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical EngineeringTsinghua University Beijing China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of EducationTsinghua University Beijing China
- Center for Synthetic & Systems BiologyTsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Liyan Wang
- Luoyang TMAXTREE Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Luoyang China
| | - Chong Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Biochemical EngineeringTsinghua University Beijing China
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of EducationTsinghua University Beijing China
- Center for Synthetic & Systems BiologyTsinghua University Beijing China
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Täuber S, von Lieres E, Grünberger A. Dynamic Environmental Control in Microfluidic Single-Cell Cultivations: From Concepts to Applications. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1906670. [PMID: 32157796 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201906670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic single-cell cultivation (MSCC) is an emerging field within fundamental as well as applied biology. During the last years, most MSCCs were performed at constant environmental conditions. Recently, MSCC at oscillating and dynamic environmental conditions has started to gain significant interest in the research community for the investigation of cellular behavior. Herein, an overview of this topic is given and microfluidic concepts that enable oscillating and dynamic control of environmental conditions with a focus on medium conditions are discussed, and their application in single-cell research for the cultivation of both mammalian and microbial cell systems is demonstrated. Furthermore, perspectives for performing MSCC at complex dynamic environmental profiles of single parameters and multiparameters (e.g., pH and O2 ) in amplitude and time are discussed. The technical progress in this field provides completely new experimental approaches and lays the foundation for systematic analysis of cellular metabolism at fluctuating environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Täuber
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, IBG-1: Biotechnology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Alexander Grünberger
- Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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Yao J, Kim HS, Kim JY, Choi YE, Park J. Mechanical stress induced astaxanthin accumulation of H. pluvialis on a chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:647-654. [PMID: 31930234 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc01030k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae have been envisioned as a source of food, feed, health nutraceuticals, and cosmetics. Among various microalgae, Haematococcus pluvialis (H. pluvialis) is known to be the richest feedstock of natural astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is a highly effective antioxidation material and is being widely used in aquaculture, nutraceuticals, pharmacology, and feed industries. Here, we present a microfluidic chip consisting of a micropillar array and six sets of culture chambers, which enables sorting of motile flagellated vegetative stage H. pluvialis (15-20 μm) from cyst stage H. pluvialis as well as culture of the selected cells under a mechanically stressed microenvironment. The micropillar array successfully sorted only the motile early vegetative stage cells (avg. size = 19.8 ± 1.6 μm), where these sorted cells were uniformly loaded inside each culture chamber (229 ± 39 cells per chamber). The mechanical stress level applied to the cells was controlled by designing the culture chambers with different heights (5-70 μm). Raman analysis results revealed that the mechanical stress indeed induced the accumulation of astaxanthin in H. pluvialis. Also, the most effective chamber height enhancing the astaxanthin accumulation (i.e., 15 μm) was successfully screened using the developed chip. Approximately 9 times more astaxanthin accumulation was detected after 7 days of culture compared to the no mechanical stress condition. The results clearly demonstrate the capability of the developed chip to investigate bioactive metabolite accumulation of microalgae induced by mechanical stress, where the amount was quantitatively analyzed in a label-free manner. We believe that the developed chip has great potential for studying the effects of mechanical stress on not only H. pluvialis but also various microalgal species in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Yao
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Hyun Soo Kim
- Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daegu Research Center for Medical Devices and Rehabilitation, Daegu 42994, South Korea
| | - Jee Young Kim
- Division of Environmental Science & Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea.
| | - Yoon-E Choi
- Division of Environmental Science & Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea.
| | - Jaewon Park
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Microbioreactors for Process Development and Cell-Based Screening Studies. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 179:67-100. [PMID: 32712680 DOI: 10.1007/10_2020_130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Microbioreactors (MBRs) have emerged as potent cultivation devices enabling automated small-scale experiments in parallel while enhancing their cost efficiency. The widespread use of MBRs has contributed to recent advances in industrial and pharmaceutical biotechnology, and they have proved to be indispensable tools in the development of many modern bioprocesses. Being predominantly applied in early stage process development, they open up new fields of research and enhance the efficacy of biotechnological product development. Their reduced reaction volume is associated with numerous inherent advantages - particularly the possibility for enabling parallel screening operations that facilitate high-throughput cultivations with reduced sample consumption (or the use of rare and expensive educts). As a result, multiple variables can be examined in a shorter time and with a lower expense. This leads to a simultaneous acceleration of research and process development along with decreased costs.MBRs range from simple miniaturized cultivations vessels (i.e., in the milliliter scale with limited possibilities for process control) to highly complex and automated small-scale microreactors with integrated sensors that allow for comprehensive screenings in very short time or a precise reflection of large-scale cultivation conditions. Progressive developments and improvements in manufacturing and automation techniques are already helping researchers to make use of the advantages that MBRs offer. This overview of current MBR systems surveys the diverse application for microbial and mammalian cell cultivations that have been developed in recent years.
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Wang JZ, Zhu LL, Zhang F, Herman RA, Li WJ, Zhou XJ, Wu FA, Wang J. Microfluidic tools for lipid production and modification: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:35482-35496. [PMID: 31327140 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05833-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics has great potential as an efficient tool for a large range of applications in industry. The ability of such devices to deal with an extremely small amount of fluid has additional benefits, including superlatively fast and efficient mass and heat transfer. These characteristics of microfluidics have attracted an enormous amount of interest in their use as a novel tool for lipid production and modification. In addition, lipid resources have a close relationship with energy resources, and lipids are an alternative renewable energy source. Here, recent advances in the application of microfluidics for lipid production and modification, especially in the discovery, culturing, harvesting, separating, and monitoring of lipid-producing microorganisms, will be reviewed. Other applications of microfluidics, such as the modification of lipids from microorganisms, will also be discussed. The novel microfluidic tools in this review will be useful in applications to improve lipid production and modification in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Zheng Wang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin-Lin Zhu
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Zhang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
| | - Richard Ansah Herman
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jing Li
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Jiao Zhou
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-An Wu
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
- Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Wang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China.
- Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Biotechnology, Zhenjiang, 212018, People's Republic of China.
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Microfluidic cultivation and analysis tools for interaction studies of microbial co-cultures. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 62:106-115. [PMID: 31715386 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Microbial consortia are fascinating yet barely understood biological systems with an elusive intrinsic complexity. Studying microbial consortia and the interactions of their members is of major importance for the understanding, engineering and control of synthetic and natural microbial consortia. Microfluidic cultivation and analysis devices are versatile tools for the study of microbial interactions at the single-cell level. While there is a vast amount of literature on microfluidics for the investigation of monocultures only few studies on co-cultures have been conducted in this context. Here we give an overview of different microfluidic single-cell cultivation tools for the analysis of microbial consortia with a focus on their physiology, growth dynamics and cellular interactions. Finally, central challenges and perspectives for the future application of microfluidic tools for microbial consortia investigations will be given.
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Microfluidic devices with gold thin film channels for chemical and biomedical applications: a review. Biomed Microdevices 2019; 21:93. [DOI: 10.1007/s10544-019-0439-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Li B, Qiu Y, Song Y, Lin H, Yin H. Dissecting horizontal and vertical gene transfer of antibiotic resistance plasmid in bacterial community using microfluidics. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 131:105007. [PMID: 31326825 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has become an emerging threat to the global health. Although horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is regarded as one of the major pathways, more evidence has shown the significant involvement of vertical gene transfer (VGT). However, traditional cultivation-based methods cannot distinguish HGT and VGT, resulting in often contradictory conclusions. Here, single-cell microfluidics with time-lapse imaging has been successfully employed to dissect the contribution of plasmid-mediated HGT and VGT to ARG transmission in an environmental community. Using Escherichia coli with an ARG-coded plasmid pKJK5 with trimethoprim resistance as the donor, we quantified the effects of three representative antibiotics (trimethoprim, tetracycline and amoxicillin) on the ARG transfer process in an activated sludge bacterial community. It was found that HGT was influenced by the inhibitory mechanism of an antibiotic and its targets (donor, recipient alone or together), whereas VGT contributes significantly to the formation of transconjugants and consequently ARG spreading. Trimethoprim is highly resisted by the donor and transconjugants, and its presence significantly increased both the HGT and VGT rates. Although tetracycline and amoxicillin both inhibit the donor, they showed different effects on HGT rate as a result of different inhibitory mechanisms. Furthermore, we show the kinetics of HGT in a community can be described using an epidemic infection model, which in combination with quantitative measure of HGT and VGT on chip provides a promising tool to study and predict the dynamics of ARG spread in real-world communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - Yong Qiu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Yanqing Song
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK
| | - Hai Lin
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Huabing Yin
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8LT, UK.
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3D Printed Lab-on-a-Chip Platform for Chemical Stimulation and Parallel Analysis of Ion Channel Function. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:mi10080548. [PMID: 31430884 PMCID: PMC6722671 DOI: 10.3390/mi10080548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Functional imaging has been a widely established method for the assessment of ion channel function in vitro. Conventional infrastructure used for in vitro functional analysis of ion channels is typically proprietary, non-customizable, expensive, and requires a high level of skill to use and maintain. 3D desktop printing, which is employed in the rapid prototyping field, allows for quick engineering of alternatives to conventional imaging infrastructure that are customizable, low cost, and user friendly. Here, we describe an ultra-low-cost microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device manufactured using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) for in vitro functional imaging of ion channels that can quickly and easily be reconstructed using three-dimensional (3D) desktop printing. The device is light weight (<5 g), small (20 mm × 49 mm), and extremely low cost (<EUR 1). We simulate fluidics within the printed channels and assess the suitability of the engineered chamber to generate homogeneous mixtures during solution exchange. We demonstrate the usability of the 3D printed microfluidic device in a case study using Fluo-4-loaded human embryonal kidney-derived (HEK293) cells, recombinantly expressing the capsaicin receptor, transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor type 1 (TRPV1), as a model system. In the case study, we confirm its applicability to solution exchange for chemical stimulation and parallel functional time-lapse fluorescence microscopy-based calcium imaging. We assess the suitability of ABS for culturing HEK293 cells inside the microfluidic LOC, based on qualitative analysis of microscopic transmission light images of ABS-exposed HEK293 cells and confirm the previously reported biocompatibility of ABS. To highlight the versatility of the 3D printed microfluidic device, we provide an example for multiplication of the shown concept within a 3D printed multichannel microfluidic LOC to be used, for example, in a higher throughput format for parallelized functional analysis of ion channels. While this work focusses on Ca2+ imaging with TRPV1 channels, the device may also be useful for application with other ion channel types and in vitro models.
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Morschett H, Loomba V, Huber G, Wiechert W, von Lieres E, Oldiges M. Laboratory-scale photobiotechnology-current trends and future perspectives. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 365:4604817. [PMID: 29126108 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnx238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phototrophic bioprocesses are a promising puzzle piece in future bioeconomy concepts but yet mostly fail for economic reasons. Besides other aspects, this is mainly attributed to the omnipresent issue of optimal light supply impeding scale-up and -down of phototrophic processes according to classic established concepts. This MiniReview examines two current trends in photobiotechnology, namely microscale cultivation and modeling and simulation. Microphotobioreactors are a valuable and promising trend with microfluidic chips and microtiter plates as predominant design concepts. Providing idealized conditions, chip systems are preferably to be used for acquiring physiological data of microalgae while microtiter plate systems are more appropriate for process parameter and medium screenings. However, these systems are far from series technology and significant improvements especially regarding flexible light supply remain crucial. Whereas microscale is less addressed by modeling and simulation so far, benchtop photobioreactor design and operation have successfully been studied using such tools. This particularly includes quantitative model-assisted understanding of mixing, mass transfer, light dispersion and particle tracing as well as their relevance for microalgal performance. The ultimate goal will be to combine physiological data from microphotobioreactors with hybrid models to integrate metabolism and reactor simulation in order to facilitate knowledge-based scale transfer of phototrophic bioprocesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Morschett
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Varun Loomba
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany.,IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Gregor Huber
- IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiechert
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Eric von Lieres
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Marco Oldiges
- IBG-1: Biotechnology, Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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Fang T, Shang W, Liu C, Xu J, Zhao D, Liu Y, Ye A. Nondestructive Identification and Accurate Isolation of Single Cells through a Chip with Raman Optical Tweezers. Anal Chem 2019; 91:9932-9939. [PMID: 31251569 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Raman optical tweezers (ROT) as a label-free technique plays an important role in single-cell study such as heterogeneity of tumor and microbial cells. Herein we designed a chip utilizing ROT to isolate a specific single cell. The chip was made from a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab and formed into a gourd-shaped reservoir with a connected channel on a cover glass. On the chip an individual cell could be isolated from a cell crowd and then extracted with ∼0.5 μL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) via pipet immediately after Raman spectral measurements of the same cell. As verification, we separated four different type of cells including BGC823 gastric cancer cells, erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and E. coli cells and quantifiably characterized the heterogeneity of the cancer cells, leukocyte subtype, and erythrocyte status, respectively. The average time of identifying and isolating a specific cell was 3 min. Cell morphology comparison and viability tests showed that the successful rate of single-cell isolation was about 90%. Thus, we believe our platform could further couple other single-cell techniques such as single-cell sequencing and become a multiperspective analytical approach at the level of a single cell.
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Haby B, Hans S, Anane E, Sawatzki A, Krausch N, Neubauer P, Cruz Bournazou MN. Integrated Robotic Mini Bioreactor Platform for Automated, Parallel Microbial Cultivation With Online Data Handling and Process Control. SLAS Technol 2019; 24:569-582. [PMID: 31288593 DOI: 10.1177/2472630319860775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During process development, the experimental search space is defined by the number of experiments that can be performed in specific time frames but also by its sophistication (e.g., inputs, sensors, sampling frequency, analytics). High-throughput liquid-handling stations can perform a large number of automated experiments in parallel. Nevertheless, the experimental data sets that are obtained are not always relevant for development of industrial bioprocesses, leading to a high rate of failure during scale-up. We present an automated mini bioreactor platform that enables parallel cultivations in the milliliter scale with online monitoring and control, well-controlled conditions, and advanced feeding strategies similar to industrial processes. The combination of two liquid handlers allows both automated mini bioreactor operation and at-line analysis in parallel. A central database enables end-to-end data exchange and fully integrated device and process control. A model-based operation algorithm allows for the accurate performance of complex cultivations for scale-down studies and strain characterization via optimal experimental redesign, significantly increasing the reliability and transferability of data throughout process development. The platform meets the tradeoff between experimental throughput and process control and monitoring comparable to laboratory-scale bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Haby
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hans
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Anane
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annina Sawatzki
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Niels Krausch
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Neubauer
- Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität, Berlin, Germany
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