1
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Eş I, Ionescu AMT, Görmüş BM, Inci F, Marques MPC, Szita N, de la Torre LG. Monte Carlo simulation-guided design for size-tuned tumor spheroid formation in 3D printed microwells. Biotechnol Prog 2024:e3470. [PMID: 38613384 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Tumor spheroid models have garnered significant attention in recent years as they can efficiently mimic in vivo models, and in addition, they offer a more controlled and reproducible environment for evaluating the efficacy of cancer drugs. In this study, we present the design and fabrication of a micromold template to form multicellular spheroids in a high-throughput and controlled-sized fashion. Briefly, polydimethylsiloxane-based micromolds at varying sizes and geometry were fabricated via soft lithography using 3D-printed molds as negative templates. The efficiency of spheroid formation was assessed using GFP-expressing human embryonic kidney 293 cells (HEK-293). After 7 days of culturing, circularity and cell viability of spheroids were >0.8 and 90%, respectively. At 1500 cells/microwell of cell seeding concentration, the spheroids were 454 ± 15 μm, 459 ± 7 μm, and 451 ± 18 μm when cultured in microwells with the diameters of 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 μm, respectively. Moreover, the distance between each microwell and surfactant treatment before cell seeding notably impacted the uniform spheroid formation. The centrifugation was the key step to collect cells on the bottom of the microwells. Our findings were further verified using a commercial microplate. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulation confirmed the seeding conditions where the spheroids could be formed. This study showed prominent steps in investigating spheroid formation, thereby leveraging the current know-how on the mechanism of tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Eş
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Material and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Burak M Görmüş
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Fatih Inci
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
- Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Marco P C Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lucimara Gaziola de la Torre
- Department of Material and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil
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2
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Agrawal A, Lasli S, Javanmardi Y, Coursier D, Micalet A, Watson S, Shahreza S, Serwinski B, Djordjevic B, Szita N, Cheema U, Bertazzo S, Calvo F, Moeendarbary E. Stromal cells regulate mechanics of tumour spheroid. Mater Today Bio 2023; 23:100821. [PMID: 37868949 PMCID: PMC10585335 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The remarkable contractility and force generation ability exhibited by cancer cells empower them to overcome the resistance and steric hindrance presented by a three-dimensional, interconnected matrix. Cancer cells disseminate by actively remodelling and deforming their extracellular matrix (ECM). The process of tumour growth and its ECM remodelling have been extensively studied, but the effect of the cellular tumour microenvironment (TME) has been ignored in most studies that investigated tumour-cell-mediated ECM deformations and realignment. This study reports the integration of stromal cells in spheroid contractility assays that impacts the ECM remodelling and invasion abilities of cancer spheroids. To investigate this, we developed a novel multilayer in vitro assay that incorporates stromal cells and quantifies the contractile deformations that tumour spheroids exert on the ECM. We observed a negative correlation between the spheroid invasion potential and the levels of collagen deformation. The presence of stromal cells significantly increased cancer cell invasiveness and altered the cancer cells' ability to deform and realign collagen gel, due to upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, this was observed consistently in both metastatic and non-metastatic cancer cells. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the vital role played by the cellular TME in regulating the invasive outgrowth of cancer cells and underscore the potential of utilising matrix deformation measurements as a biophysical marker for evaluating invasiveness and informing targeted therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayushi Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Soufian Lasli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Diane Coursier
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd, Gloucester Road, London, W2 6LD, UK
| | - Auxtine Micalet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
- Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Sara Watson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Somayeh Shahreza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Bianca Serwinski
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd, Gloucester Road, London, W2 6LD, UK
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Northeastern University London, London, E1W 1LP, UK
| | - Boris Djordjevic
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd, Gloucester Road, London, W2 6LD, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Umber Cheema
- Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Sergio Bertazzo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Fernando Calvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria), Santander, Spain
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1E 7JE, UK
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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3
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Whisler J, Shahreza S, Schlegelmilch K, Ege N, Javanmardi Y, Malandrino A, Agrawal A, Fantin A, Serwinski B, Azizgolshani H, Park C, Shone V, Demuren OO, Del Rosario A, Butty VL, Holroyd N, Domart MC, Hooper S, Szita N, Boyer LA, Walker-Samuel S, Djordjevic B, Sheridan GK, Collinson L, Calvo F, Ruhrberg C, Sahai E, Kamm R, Moeendarbary E. Emergent mechanical control of vascular morphogenesis. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadg9781. [PMID: 37566656 PMCID: PMC10421067 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg9781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Vascularization is driven by morphogen signals and mechanical cues that coordinately regulate cellular force generation, migration, and shape change to sculpt the developing vascular network. However, it remains unclear whether developing vasculature actively regulates its own mechanical properties to achieve effective vascularization. We engineered tissue constructs containing endothelial cells and fibroblasts to investigate the mechanics of vascularization. Tissue stiffness increases during vascular morphogenesis resulting from emergent interactions between endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and ECM and correlates with enhanced vascular function. Contractile cellular forces are key to emergent tissue stiffening and synergize with ECM mechanical properties to modulate the mechanics of vascularization. Emergent tissue stiffening and vascular function rely on mechanotransduction signaling within fibroblasts, mediated by YAP1. Mouse embryos lacking YAP1 in fibroblasts exhibit both reduced tissue stiffness and develop lethal vascular defects. Translating our findings through biology-inspired vascular tissue engineering approaches will have substantial implications in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Whisler
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Somayeh Shahreza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Nil Ege
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Mnemo Therapeutics, 101 Boulevard Murat, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea Malandrino
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group, Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Center for Biomedical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Av. Eduard Maristany, 10-14 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ayushi Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Fantin
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Bianca Serwinski
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, UK
- Northeastern University London, London, E1W 1LP, UK
| | - Hesham Azizgolshani
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Clara Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Victoria Shone
- Experimental Histopathology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Olukunle O. Demuren
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amanda Del Rosario
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vincent L. Butty
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Natalie Holroyd
- UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK
| | | | - Steven Hooper
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Laurie A. Boyer
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Simon Walker-Samuel
- UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK
| | - Boris Djordjevic
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, UK
| | - Graham K. Sheridan
- School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lucy Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Fernando Calvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria), Santander, Spain
| | | | - Erik Sahai
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Roger Kamm
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, UK
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4
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Javanmardi Y, Agrawal A, Malandrino A, Lasli S, Chen M, Shahreza S, Serwinski B, Cammoun L, Li R, Jorfi M, Djordjevic B, Szita N, Spill F, Bertazzo S, Sheridan GK, Shenoy V, Calvo F, Kamm R, Moeendarbary E. Endothelium and Subendothelial Matrix Mechanics Modulate Cancer Cell Transendothelial Migration. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2023; 10:e2206554. [PMID: 37051804 PMCID: PMC10238207 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cell extravasation, a key step in the metastatic cascade, involves cancer cell arrest on the endothelium, transendothelial migration (TEM), followed by the invasion into the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) of distant tissues. While cancer research has mostly focused on the biomechanical interactions between tumor cells (TCs) and ECM, particularly at the primary tumor site, very little is known about the mechanical properties of endothelial cells and the subendothelial ECM and how they contribute to the extravasation process. Here, an integrated experimental and theoretical framework is developed to investigate the mechanical crosstalk between TCs, endothelium and subendothelial ECM during in vitro cancer cell extravasation. It is found that cancer cell actin-rich protrusions generate complex push-pull forces to initiate and drive TEM, while transmigration success also relies on the forces generated by the endothelium. Consequently, mechanical properties of the subendothelial ECM and endothelial actomyosin contractility that mediate the endothelial forces also impact the endothelium's resistance to cancer cell transmigration. These results indicate that mechanical features of distant tissues, including force interactions between the endothelium and the subendothelial ECM, are key determinants of metastatic organotropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Ayushi Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Andrea Malandrino
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
- Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering GroupDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Center for Biomedical EngineeringUniversitat Politécnica de Catalunya (UPC)08019BarcelonaSpain
| | - Soufian Lasli
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Michelle Chen
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Somayeh Shahreza
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Bianca Serwinski
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
- 199 Biotechnologies LtdGloucester RoadLondonW2 6LDUK
| | - Leila Cammoun
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Ran Li
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Mehdi Jorfi
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Boris Djordjevic
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
- 199 Biotechnologies LtdGloucester RoadLondonW2 6LDUK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Fabian Spill
- School of MathematicsUniversity of BirminghamEdgbastonBirminghamB152TSUK
| | - Sergio Bertazzo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Graham K Sheridan
- School of Life SciencesQueen's Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2UHUK
| | - Vivek Shenoy
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Fernando Calvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria)Santander39011Spain
| | - Roger Kamm
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
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5
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Woods B, Thompson KC, Szita N, Chen S, Milanesi L, Tomas S. Confinement effect on hydrolysis in small lipid vesicles. Chem Sci 2023; 14:2616-2623. [PMID: 36908967 PMCID: PMC9993861 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc05747f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In living organisms most chemical reactions take place within the confines of lipid-membrane bound compartments, while confinement within the bounds of a lipid membrane is thought to be a key step in abiogenesis. In previous work we demonstrated that confinement in the aqueous cavity of a lipid vesicle affords protection against hydrolysis, a phenomenon that we term here confinement effect (C e) and that we attributed to the interaction with the lipid membrane. Here, we show that both the size and the shape of the cavity of the vesicle modulate the C e. We link this observation to the packing of the lipid following changes in membrane curvature, and formulate a mathematical model that relates the C e to the radius of a spherical vesicle and the packing parameter of the lipids. These results suggest that the shape of the compartment where a molecule is located plays a major role in controlling the chemical reactivity of non-enzymatic reactions. Moreover, the mathematical treatment we propose offers a useful tool for the design of vesicles with predictable reaction rates of the confined molecules, e.g., drug delivery vesicles with confined prodrugs. The results also show that a crude form of signal transduction, devoid of complex biological machinery, can be achieved by any external stimuli that drastically changes the structure of the membrane, like the osmotic shocks used in the present work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Woods
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London Malet Street London WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Katherine C Thompson
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London Malet Street London WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building Gordon Street London WC1H 0AH UK
| | - Shu Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London Malet Street London WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Lilia Milanesi
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Balearic Islands Ctra. de Valldemossa, Km 7.5 07122 Palma de Mallorca Spain
| | - Salvador Tomas
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London Malet Street London WC1E 7HX UK.,Department of Chemistry, University of the Balearic Islands Ctra. de Valldemossa, Km 7.5 07122 Palma de Mallorca Spain
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6
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Eames I, D'Aiuto F, Shahreza S, Javanmardi Y, Balachandran R, Hyde M, Ng YL, Gulabivala K, Watson S, Davies H, Szita N, Khajeh J, Suvan J, Moeendarbary E. Removal and dispersal of biofluid films by powered medical devices: Modeling infectious agent spreading in dentistry. iScience 2021; 24:103344. [PMID: 34825134 PMCID: PMC8603215 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Medical procedures can disperse infectious agents and spread disease. Particularly, dental procedures may pose a high risk of disease transmission as they use high-powered instruments operating within the oral cavity that may contain infectious microbiota or viruses. Here we assess the ability of powered dental devices in removing the biofluid films and identified mechanical, hydrodynamic, and aerodynamic forces as the main underlying mechanisms of removal and dispersal processes. Our results indicate that potentially infectious agents can be removed and dispersed immediately after dental instrument engagement with the adherent biofluid film, while the degree of their dispersal is rapidly depleted owing to the removal of the source and dilution by the coolant water. We found that droplets created by high-speed drill interactions typically travel ballistically, while aerosol-laden air tends to flow as a current over surfaces. Our mechanistic investigation offers plausible routes for reducing the spread of infection during invasive medical procedures. Mechanical, hydrodynamic, and aerodynamic forces drive removal/dispersal processes The air-rotor has the highest ability to remove and disperse infectious agents The aerosol cloud flows as a current and continuously settles Manipulating rheological properties of the fluids can suppress aerosol generation
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Eames
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Francesco D'Aiuto
- Unit of Periodontology, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, WC1X 8LT, UK
| | - Somayeh Shahreza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | | | - Martin Hyde
- TSI, 30 Millbank, Westminster, London, SW1P 4WP, UK
| | - Yuan-Ling Ng
- Unit of Endodontology, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, WC1X 8LT, UK
| | - Kishor Gulabivala
- Unit of Endodontology, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, WC1X 8LT, UK
| | - Sara Watson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Hywel Davies
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Janette Khajeh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Jeanie Suvan
- Unit of Periodontology, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, WC1X 8LT, UK
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA
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Javanmardi Y, Colin-York H, Szita N, Fritzsche M, Moeendarbary E. Quantifying cell-generated forces: Poisson's ratio matters. Commun Phys 2021; 4:237. [PMID: 34841089 PMCID: PMC7612038 DOI: 10.1038/s42005-021-00740-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying mechanical forces generated by cellular systems has led to key insights into a broad range of biological phenomena from cell adhesion to immune cell activation. Traction force microscopy (TFM), the most widely employed force measurement methodology, fundamentally relies on knowledge of the force-displacement relationship and mechanical properties of the substrate. Together with the elastic modulus, the Poisson's ratio is a basic material property that to date has largely been overlooked in TFM. Here, we evaluate the sensitivity of TFM to Poisson's ratio by employing a series of computer simulations and experimental data analysis. We demonstrate how applying the correct Poisson's ratio is important for accurate force reconstruction and develop a framework for the determination of error levels resulting from the misestimation of the Poisson's ratio. In addition, we provide experimental estimation of the Poisson's ratios of elastic substrates commonly applied in TFM. Our work thus highlights the role of Poisson's ratio underpinning cellular force quantification studied across many biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Huw Colin-York
- Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marco Fritzsche
- Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
- Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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8
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Aranda Hernandez J, Heuer C, Bahnemann J, Szita N. Microfluidic Devices as Process Development Tools for Cellular Therapy Manufacturing. Adv Biochem Eng Biotechnol 2021; 179:101-127. [PMID: 34410457 DOI: 10.1007/10_2021_169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cellular therapies are creating a paradigm shift in the biomanufacturing industry. Particularly for autologous therapies, small-scale processing methods are better suited than the large-scale approaches that are traditionally employed in the industry. Current small-scale methods for manufacturing personalized cell therapies, however, are labour-intensive and involve a number of 'open events'. To overcome these challenges, new cell manufacturing platforms following a GMP-in-a-box concept have recently come on the market (GMP: Good Manufacturing Practice). These are closed automated systems with built-in pumps for fluid handling and sensors for in-process monitoring. At a much smaller scale, microfluidic devices exhibit many of the same features as current GMP-in-a-box systems. They are closed systems, fluids can be processed and manipulated, and sensors integrated for real-time detection of process variables. Fabricated from polymers, they can be made disposable, i.e. single-use. Furthermore, microfluidics offers exquisite spatiotemporal control over the cellular microenvironment, promising both reproducibility and control of outcomes. In this chapter, we consider the challenges in cell manufacturing, highlight recent advances of microfluidic devices for each of the main process steps, and summarize our findings on the current state of the art. As microfluidic cell culture devices have been reported for both adherent and suspension cell cultures, we report on devices for the key process steps, or unit operations, of both stem cell therapies and cell-based immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Heuer
- Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Janina Bahnemann
- Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Biochemical Engineering Department, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
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9
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Vasiliadou R, Dimov N, Szita N, Jordan SF, Lane N. Possible mechanisms of CO 2 reduction by H 2 via prebiotic vectorial electrochemistry. Interface Focus 2019; 9:20190073. [PMID: 31641439 PMCID: PMC6802132 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2019.0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Methanogens are putatively ancestral autotrophs that reduce CO2 with H2 to form biomass using a membrane-bound, proton-motive Fe(Ni)S protein called the energy-converting hydrogenase (Ech). At the origin of life, geologically sustained H+ gradients across inorganic barriers containing Fe(Ni)S minerals could theoretically have driven CO2 reduction by H2 through vectorial chemistry in a similar way to Ech. pH modulation of the redox potentials of H2, CO2 and Fe(Ni)S minerals could in principle enable an otherwise endergonic reaction. Here, we analyse whether vectorial electrochemistry can facilitate the reduction of CO2 by H2 under alkaline hydrothermal conditions using a microfluidic reactor. We present pilot data showing that steep pH gradients of approximately 5 pH units can be sustained over greater than 5 h across Fe(Ni)S barriers, with H+-flux across the barrier about two million-fold faster than OH--flux. This high flux produces a calculated 3-pH unit-gradient (equating to 180 mV) across single approximately 25-nm Fe(Ni)S nanocrystals, which is close to that required to reduce CO2. However, the poor solubility of H2 at atmospheric pressure limits CO2 reduction by H2, explaining why organic synthesis has so far proved elusive in our reactor. Higher H2 concentration will be needed in future to facilitate CO2 reduction through prebiotic vectorial electrochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Vasiliadou
- Centre for Life's Origin and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nikolay Dimov
- School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sean F. Jordan
- Centre for Life's Origin and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nick Lane
- Centre for Life's Origin and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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10
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Lladó Maldonado S, Krull J, Rasch D, Panjan P, Sesay AM, Marques MPC, Szita N, Krull R. Correction to: Application of a multiphase microreactor chemostat for the determination of reaction kinetics of Staphylococcus carnosus. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2019; 43:359. [PMID: 31584123 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-019-02225-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Unfortunately, in the "How to Cite as" section, the given and the family name of the author was incorrectly published, the correct name is Lladó Maldonado. S.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lladó Maldonado
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Brunswick, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany
| | - J Krull
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Brunswick, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany
| | - D Rasch
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Brunswick, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany
| | - P Panjan
- Measurement Technology Unit, CEMIS-Oulu, Kajaani University Consortium, University of Oulu, Kajaani, Finland
| | - A M Sesay
- Measurement Technology Unit, CEMIS-Oulu, Kajaani University Consortium, University of Oulu, Kajaani, Finland
| | - M P C Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - N Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - R Krull
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Brunswick, Germany. .,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany.
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11
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Maldonado SL, Krull J, Rasch D, Panjan P, Sesay AM, Marques MPC, Szita N, Krull R. Application of a multiphase microreactor chemostat for the determination of reaction kinetics of Staphylococcus carnosus. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2019; 42:953-961. [PMID: 30810809 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-019-02095-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Bioreactors at the microliter scale offer a promising approach to accelerate bioprocess development. Advantages of such microbioreactors include a reduction in the use of expensive reagents. In this study, a chemostat operation mode of a cuvette-based microbubble column bioreactor made of polystyrene (working volume of 550 µL) was demonstrated. Aeration occurs through a nozzle (Ø ≤ 100 µm) and supports submerged whole-cell cultivation of Staphylococcus carnosus. Stationary concentrations of biomass and glucose were determined in the dilution rate regime ranging from 0.12 to 0.80 1/h with a glucose feed concentration of 1 g/L. For the first time, reaction kinetics of S. carnosus were estimated from data obtained from continuous cultivation. The maximal specific growth rate (µmax = 0.824 1/h), Monod constant (KS = 34 × 10- 3gS/L), substrate-related biomass yield coefficient (YX/S = 0.315 gCDW/gS), and maintenance coefficient (mS = 0.0035 gS/(gCDW·h)) were determined. These parameters are now available for further studies in the field of synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lladó Maldonado
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - J Krull
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - D Rasch
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - P Panjan
- Measurement Technology Unit, CEMIS-Oulu, Kajaani University Consortium, University of Oulu, Kajaani, Finland
| | - A M Sesay
- Measurement Technology Unit, CEMIS-Oulu, Kajaani University Consortium, University of Oulu, Kajaani, Finland
| | - M P C Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - N Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - R Krull
- Institute of Biochemical Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Rebenring 56, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany. .,Center of Pharmaceutical Engineering (PVZ), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
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12
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Forbes N, Hussain MT, Briuglia ML, Edwards DP, Horst JHT, Szita N, Perrie Y. Rapid and scale-independent microfluidic manufacture of liposomes entrapping protein incorporating in-line purification and at-line size monitoring. Int J Pharm 2018; 556:68-81. [PMID: 30503269 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Within this paper we present work that has the ability to de-risk the translation of liposomes from bench to the clinic. We have used microfluidics for the rapid and scale-independent manufacture of liposomes and have incorporated in-line purification and at-line monitoring of particle size. Using this process, we have manufactured a range of neutral and anionic liposomes incorporating protein. Factors investigated include the microfluidics operating parameters (flow rate ratio (FRR) and total flow rate (TFR)) and the liposome formulation. From these studies, we demonstrate that FRR is a key factor influencing liposome size, protein loading and release profiles. The liposome formulations produced by microfluidics offer high protein loading (20-35%) compared to production by sonication or extrusion (<5%). This high loading achieved by microfluidics results from the manufacturing process and is independent of lipid selection and concentration across the range tested. Using in-line purification and at-line size monitoring, we outline the normal operating range for effective production of size controlled (60-100 nm), homogenous (PDI <0.2) high load liposomes. This easy microfluidic process provides a translational manufacturing pathway for liposomes in a wide-range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Forbes
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, 161 Cathedral St, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, G4 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Maryam T Hussain
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, 161 Cathedral St, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, G4 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Maria L Briuglia
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George St, Glasgow, G1 1RD, United Kingdom
| | - Darren P Edwards
- Drug Discovery Unit, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow St, Dundee, Scotland DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Joop H Ter Horst
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, 99 George St, Glasgow, G1 1RD, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1H 0AH, United Kingdom
| | - Yvonne Perrie
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, 161 Cathedral St, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, G4 0RE, United Kingdom.
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Abdolvand N, Tostoes R, Raimes W, Kumar V, Szita N, Veraitch F. Long-Term Retinal Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in a Continuously Perfused Microfluidic Culture Device. Biotechnol J 2018; 14:e1800323. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nima Abdolvand
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Bernard Katz building London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Rui Tostoes
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Bernard Katz building London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - William Raimes
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Bernard Katz building London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Bernard Katz building London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Bernard Katz building London WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Farlan Veraitch
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Bernard Katz building London WC1E 6BT UK
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Dimov N, Kastner E, Hussain M, Perrie Y, Szita N. Author Correction: Formation and purification of tailored liposomes for drug delivery using a module-based micro continuous-flow system. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6762. [PMID: 29691461 PMCID: PMC5915411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25217-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Dimov
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1H 0AH, UK
| | - Elisabeth Kastner
- Aston Pharmacy School, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - Maryam Hussain
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, Scotland
| | - Yvonne Perrie
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, Scotland
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, WC1H 0AH, UK.
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Gruber P, Carvalho F, Marques MPC, O'Sullivan B, Subrizi F, Dobrijevic D, Ward J, Hailes HC, Fernandes P, Wohlgemuth R, Baganz F, Szita N. Cover Image, Volume 115, Number 3, March 2018. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.26413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pia Gruber
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Filipe Carvalho
- Department of Bioengineering and IBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences; Instituto Superior Técnico; Universidade de Lisboa; Lisboa Portugal
| | - Marco P. C. Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Brian O'Sullivan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Fabiana Subrizi
- Department of Chemistry; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Dragana Dobrijevic
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - John Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Helen C. Hailes
- Department of Chemistry; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Pedro Fernandes
- Department of Bioengineering and IBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences; Instituto Superior Técnico; Universidade de Lisboa; Lisboa Portugal
- Faculty of Engineering; Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias; Lisboa Portugal
| | | | - Frank Baganz
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; London United Kingdom
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P Radhakrishnan AN, Marques MPC, Davies MJ, O'Sullivan B, Bracewell DG, Szita N. Flocculation on a chip: a novel screening approach to determine floc growth rates and select flocculating agents. Lab Chip 2018; 18:585-594. [PMID: 29345271 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00793k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Flocculation is a key purification step in cell-based processes for the food and pharmaceutical industry where the removal of cells and cellular debris is aided by adding flocculating agents. However, finding the best suited flocculating agent and optimal conditions to achieve rapid and effective flocculation is a non-trivial task. In conventional analytical systems, turbulent mixing creates a dynamic equilibrium between floc growth and breakage, constraining the determination of floc formation rates. Furthermore, these systems typically rely on end-point measurements only. We have successfully developed for the first time a microfluidic system for the study of flocculation under well controlled conditions. In our microfluidic device (μFLOC), floc sizes and growth rates were monitored in real time using high-speed imaging and computational image analysis. The on-line and in situ detection allowed quantification of floc sizes and their growth kinetics. This eliminated the issues of sample handling, sample dispersion, and end-point measurements. We demonstrated the power of this approach by quantifying the growth rates of floc formation under forty different growth conditions by varying industrially relevant flocculating agents (pDADMAC, PEI, PEG), their concentration and dosage. Growth rates between 12.2 μm s-1 for a strongly cationic flocculant (pDADMAC) and 0.6 μm s-1 for a non-ionic flocculant (PEG) were observed, demonstrating the potential to rank flocculating conditions in a quantitative way. We have therefore created a screening tool to efficiently compare flocculating agents and rapidly find the best flocculating condition, which will significantly accelerate early bioprocess development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand N P Radhakrishnan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH, UK.
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Gruber P, Carvalho F, Marques MPC, O'Sullivan B, Subrizi F, Dobrijevic D, Ward J, Hailes HC, Fernandes P, Wohlgemuth R, Baganz F, Szita N. Enzymatic synthesis of chiral amino-alcohols by coupling transketolase and transaminase-catalyzed reactions in a cascading continuous-flow microreactor system. Biotechnol Bioeng 2017; 115:586-596. [PMID: 28986983 PMCID: PMC5813273 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Rapid biocatalytic process development and intensification continues to be challenging with currently available methods. Chiral amino‐alcohols are of particular interest as they represent key industrial synthons for the production of complex molecules and optically pure pharmaceuticals. (2S,3R)‐2‐amino‐1,3,4‐butanetriol (ABT), a building block for the synthesis of protease inhibitors and detoxifying agents, can be synthesized from simple, non‐chiral starting materials, by coupling a transketolase‐ and a transaminase‐catalyzed reaction. However, until today, full conversion has not been shown and, typically, long reaction times are reported, making process modifications and improvement challenging. In this contribution, we present a novel microreactor‐based approach based on free enzymes, and we report for the first time full conversion of ABT in a coupled enzyme cascade for both batch and continuous‐flow systems. Using the compartmentalization of the reactions afforded by the microreactor cascade, we overcame inhibitory effects, increased the activity per unit volume, and optimized individual reaction conditions. The transketolase‐catalyzed reaction was completed in under 10 min with a volumetric activity of 3.25 U ml−1. Following optimization of the transaminase‐catalyzed reaction, a volumetric activity of 10.8 U ml−1 was attained which led to full conversion of the coupled reaction in 2 hr. The presented approach illustrates how continuous‐flow microreactors can be applied for the design and optimization of biocatalytic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Gruber
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Filipe Carvalho
- Department of Bioengineering and IBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marco P C Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brian O'Sullivan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fabiana Subrizi
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dragana Dobrijevic
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Ward
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen C Hailes
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro Fernandes
- Department of Bioengineering and IBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Faculty of Engineering, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Frank Baganz
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Microfluidic devices as novel bioprocess development tools. Processes with stem cells, microbes and enzymes are viable in microfluidic devices. Microfluidic devices with integrated sensors provide high quality data. Laminar flow enables spatial and temporal control over transport phenomena. Standardization of devices required for automation and industrial uptake.
Scale-down approaches have long been applied in bioprocessing to resolve scale-up problems. Miniaturized bioreactors have thrived as a tool to obtain process relevant data during early-stage process development. Microfluidic devices are an attractive alternative in bioprocessing development due to the high degree of control over process variables afforded by the laminar flow, and the possibility to reduce time and cost factors. Data quality obtained with these devices is high when integrated with sensing technology and is invaluable for scale-translation and to assess the economical viability of bioprocesses. Microfluidic devices as upstream process development tools have been developed in the area of small molecules, therapeutic proteins, and cellular therapies. More recently, they have also been applied to mimic downstream unit operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pc Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Bernard Katz Building, Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The quantification of key variables such as oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide, glucose, and temperature provides essential information for biological and biotechnological applications and their development. Microfluidic devices offer an opportunity to accelerate research and development in these areas due to their small scale, and the fine control over the microenvironment, provided that these key variables can be measured. Optical sensors are well-suited for this task. They offer non-invasive and non-destructive monitoring of the mentioned variables, and the establishment of time-course profiles without the need for sampling from the microfluidic devices. They can also be implemented in larger systems, facilitating cross-scale comparison of analytical data. This tutorial review presents an overview of the optical sensors and their technology, with a view to support current and potential new users in microfluidics and biotechnology in the implementation of such sensors. It introduces the benefits and challenges of sensor integration, including, their application for microbioreactors. Sensor formats, integration methods, device bonding options, and monitoring options are explained. Luminescent sensors for oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide, glucose and temperature are showcased. Areas where further development is needed are highlighted with the intent to guide future development efforts towards analytes for which reliable, stable, or easily integrated detection methods are not yet available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Gruber
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK.
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20
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Gruber P, Marques MPC, O'Sullivan B, Baganz F, Wohlgemuth R, Szita N. Conscious coupling: The challenges and opportunities of cascading enzymatic microreactors. Biotechnol J 2017; 12. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pia Gruber
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; WC1H 0AH United Kingdom
| | - Marco P. C. Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; WC1H 0AH United Kingdom
| | - Brian O'Sullivan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; WC1H 0AH United Kingdom
| | - Frank Baganz
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; WC1H 0AH United Kingdom
| | | | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; WC1H 0AH United Kingdom
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21
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Jaccard N, Szita N, Griffin LD. Segmentation of phase contrast microscopy images based on multi-scale local Basic Image Features histograms. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng Imaging Vis 2017; 5:359-367. [PMID: 28815155 PMCID: PMC5526147 DOI: 10.1080/21681163.2015.1016243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Phase contrast microscopy (PCM) is routinely used for the inspection of adherent cell cultures in all fields of biology and biomedicine. Key decisions for experimental protocols are often taken by an operator based on typically qualitative observations. However, automated processing and analysis of PCM images remain challenging due to the low contrast between foreground objects (cells) and background as well as various imaging artefacts. We propose a trainable pixel-wise segmentation approach whereby image structures and symmetries are encoded in the form of multi-scale Basic Image Features local histograms, and classification of them is learned by random decision trees. This approach was validated for segmentation of cell versus background, and discrimination between two different cell types. Performance close to that of state-of-the-art specialised algorithms was achieved despite the general nature of the method. The low processing time ( < 4 s per 1280 × 960 pixel images) is suitable for batch processing of experimental data as well as for interactive segmentation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Jaccard
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - N Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - L D Griffin
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
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Gruber P, Marques MP, Sulzer P, Wohlgemuth R, Mayr T, Baganz F, Szita N. Real-time pH monitoring of industrially relevant enzymatic reactions in a microfluidic side-entry reactor (μSER) shows potential for pH control. Biotechnol J 2017; 12. [DOI: 10.1002/biot.201600475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pia Gruber
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Gordon Street London UK
| | - Marco P.C. Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Gordon Street London UK
| | - Philipp Sulzer
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry; Graz University of Technology; Graz Austria
| | - Roland Wohlgemuth
- Member of Merck Group; Sigma-Aldrich; Member of Merck Group; Buchs Switzerland
| | - Torsten Mayr
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry; Graz University of Technology; Graz Austria
| | - Frank Baganz
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry; Graz University of Technology; Graz Austria
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering; University College London; Gordon Street London UK
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Super A, Jaccard N, Cardoso Marques MP, Macown RJ, Griffin LD, Veraitch FS, Szita N. Real-time monitoring of specific oxygen uptake rates of embryonic stem cells in a microfluidic cell culture device. Biotechnol J 2016; 11:1179-89. [PMID: 27214658 PMCID: PMC5103178 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201500479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen plays a key role in stem cell biology as a signaling molecule and as an indicator of cell energy metabolism. Quantification of cellular oxygen kinetics, i.e. the determination of specific oxygen uptake rates (sOURs), is routinely used to understand metabolic shifts. However current methods to determine sOUR in adherent cell cultures rely on cell sampling, which impacts on cellular phenotype. We present real‐time monitoring of cell growth from phase contrast microscopy images, and of respiration using optical sensors for dissolved oxygen. Time‐course data for bulk and peri‐cellular oxygen concentrations obtained for Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and mouse embryonic stem cell (mESCs) cultures successfully demonstrated this non‐invasive and label‐free approach. Additionally, we confirmed non‐invasive detection of cellular responses to rapidly changing culture conditions by exposing the cells to mitochondrial inhibiting and uncoupling agents. For the CHO and mESCs, sOUR values between 8 and 60 amol cell−1 s−1, and 5 and 35 amol cell−1 s−1 were obtained, respectively. These values compare favorably with literature data. The capability to monitor oxygen tensions, cell growth, and sOUR, of adherent stem cell cultures, non‐invasively and in real time, will be of significant benefit for future studies in stem cell biology and stem cell‐based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Super
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Jaccard
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rhys Jarred Macown
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lewis Donald Griffin
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Farlan Singh Veraitch
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Kirk TV, Marques MPC, Radhakrishnan ANP, Szita N. Quantification of the oxygen uptake rate in a dissolved oxygen controlled oscillating jet-driven microbioreactor. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 2016; 91:823-831. [PMID: 27478291 PMCID: PMC4950047 DOI: 10.1002/jctb.4833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbioreactors have emerged as a new tool for early bioprocess development. The technology has advanced rapidly in the last decade and obtaining real-time quantitative data of process variables is nowadays state of the art. In addition, control over process variables has also been achieved. The aim of this study was to build a microbioreactor capable of controlling dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and to determine oxygen uptake rate in real time. RESULTS An oscillating jet driven, membrane-aerated microbioreactor was developed without comprising any moving parts. Mixing times of ∼7 s, and kLa values of ∼170 h-1 were achieved. DO control was achieved by varying the duty cycle of a solenoid microvalve, which changed the gas mixture in the reactor incubator chamber. The microbioreactor supported Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth over 30 h and cell densities of 6.7 gdcw L-1. Oxygen uptake rates of ∼34 mmol L-1 h-1 were achieved. CONCLUSION The results highlight the potential of DO-controlled microbioreactors to obtain real-time information on oxygen uptake rate, and by extension on cellular metabolism for a variety of cell types over a broad range of processing conditions. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy V Kirk
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gordon StreetLondon WC1H 0AHUK
| | - Marco PC Marques
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gordon StreetLondon WC1H 0AHUK
| | | | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonBernard Katz Building, Gordon StreetLondon WC1H 0AHUK
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Tan CKL, Davies MJ, McCluskey DK, Munro IR, Nweke MC, Tracey MC, Szita N. Electromagnetic stirring in a microbioreactor with non-conventional chamber morphology and implementation of multiplexed mixing. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 2015; 90:1927-1936. [PMID: 27546945 PMCID: PMC4973846 DOI: 10.1002/jctb.4762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2014] [Revised: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbioreactors have emerged as novel tools for early bioprocess development. Mixing lies at the heart of bioreactor operation (at all scales). The successful implementation of micro-stirring methods is thus central to the further advancement of microbioreactor technology. The aim of this study was to develop a micro-stirring method that aids robust microbioreactor operation and facilitates cost-effective parallelization. RESULTS A microbioreactor was developed with a novel micro-stirring method involving the movement of a magnetic bead by sequenced activation of a ring of electromagnets. The micro-stirring method offers flexibility in chamber designs, and mixing is demonstrated in cylindrical, diamond and triangular shaped reactor chambers. Mixing was analyzed for different electromagnet on/off sequences; mixing times of 4.5 s, 2.9 s, and 2.5 s were achieved for cylindrical, diamond and triangular shaped chambers, respectively. Ease of micro-bubble free priming, a typical challenge of cylindrical shaped microbioreactor chambers, was obtained with a diamond-shaped chamber. Consistent mixing behavior was observed between the constituent reactors in a duplex system. CONCLUSION A novel stirring method using electromagnetic actuation offering rapid mixing and easy integration with microbioreactors was characterized. The design flexibility gained enables fabrication of chambers suitable for microfluidic operation, and a duplex demonstrator highlights potential for cost-effective parallelization. Combined with a previously published cassette-like fabrication of microbioreactors, these advances will facilitate the development of robust and parallelized microbioreactors. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew J Davies
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonUK
| | | | - Ian R Munro
- School of Engineering and TechnologyUniversity of HertfordshireUK
| | - Mauryn C Nweke
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonUK
| | - Mark C Tracey
- School of Engineering and TechnologyUniversity of HertfordshireUK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonUK
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Reichen M, Super A, Davies M, Macown R, O’Sullivan B, Kirk T, Marques M, Dimov N, Szita N. condiCharacterisation of an Adhesive-free Packaging System for Polymeric Microfluidic Biochemical Devices and Reactors. CHEM BIOCHEM ENG Q 2014. [DOI: 10.15255/cabeq.2014.1937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Macown RJ, Veraitch FS, Szita N. Robust, microfabricated culture devices with improved control over the soluble microenvironment for the culture of embryonic stem cells. Biotechnol J 2014; 9:805-13. [PMID: 24677785 PMCID: PMC4674967 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201300245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Revised: 02/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The commercial use of stem cells continues to be constrained by the difficulty and high cost of developing efficient and reliable production protocols. The use of microfabricated systems combines good control over the cellular microenvironment with reduced use of resources in process optimization. Our previously reported microfabricated culture device was shown to be suitable for the culture of embryonic stem cells but required improvements to robustness, ease of use, and dissolved gas control. In this report, we describe a number of improvements to the design of the microfabricated system to significantly improve the control over shear stress and soluble factors, particularly dissolved oxygen. These control improvements are investigated by finite element modeling. Design improvements also make the system easier to use and improve the robustness. The culture device could be applied to the optimization of pluripotent stem cell growth and differentiation, as well as the development of monitoring and control strategies and improved culture systems at various scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys J Macown
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
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Jaccard N, Macown RJ, Super A, Griffin LD, Veraitch FS, Szita N. Automated and online characterization of adherent cell culture growth in a microfabricated bioreactor. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 19:437-43. [PMID: 24692228 PMCID: PMC4230958 DOI: 10.1177/2211068214529288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Adherent cell lines are widely used across all fields of biology, including drug discovery, toxicity studies, and regenerative medicine. However, adherent cell processes are often limited by a lack of advances in cell culture systems. While suspension culture processes benefit from decades of development of instrumented bioreactors, adherent cultures are typically performed in static, noninstrumented flasks and well-plates. We previously described a microfabricated bioreactor that enables a high degree of control on the microenvironment of the cells while remaining compatible with standard cell culture protocols. In this report, we describe its integration with automated image-processing capabilities, allowing the continuous monitoring of key cell culture characteristics. A machine learning–based algorithm enabled the specific detection of one cell type within a co-culture setting, such as human embryonic stem cells against the background of fibroblast cells. In addition, the algorithm did not confuse image artifacts resulting from microfabrication, such as scratches on surfaces, or dust particles, with cellular features. We demonstrate how the automation of flow control, environmental control, and image acquisition can be employed to image the whole culture area and obtain time-course data of mouse embryonic stem cell cultures, for example, for confluency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Jaccard
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rhys J Macown
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandre Super
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lewis D Griffin
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Farlan S Veraitch
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
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Reichen M, Veraitch FS, Szita N. Development of a multiplexed microfluidic platform for the automated cultivation of embryonic stem cells. J Lab Autom 2013; 18:519-29. [PMID: 23970473 PMCID: PMC4107755 DOI: 10.1177/2211068213499917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We present a multiplexed platform for a microfabricated stem cell culture device. The modular platform contains all the components to control stem cell culture conditions in an automated fashion. It does not require an incubator during perfusion culture and can be mounted on the stage of an inverted fluorescence microscope for high-frequency imaging of stem cell cultures. A pressure-driven pump provides control over the medium flow rate and offers switching of the flow rates. Flow rates of the pump are characterized for different pressure settings, and a linear correlation between the applied pressure and the flow rate in the cell culture devices is shown. In addition, the pump operates with two culture medium reservoirs, thus enabling the switching of the culture medium on-the-fly during a cell culture experiment. Also, with our platform, the culture medium reservoirs are cooled to prevent medium degradation during long-term experiments. Media temperature is then adjusted to a higher controlled temperature before entering the microfabricated cell culture device. Furthermore, the temperature is regulated in the microfabricated culture devices themselves. Preliminary culture experiments are demonstrated using mouse embryonic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Reichen
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London,
UK
- Current affiliation: Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge,
Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London,
UK
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Lawrence J, O'Sullivan B, Lye GJ, Wohlgemuth R, Szita N. Microfluidic multi-input reactor for biocatalytic synthesis using transketolase. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 95:111-117. [PMID: 24187515 PMCID: PMC3724052 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcatb.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Multi-point feeding strategy to overcome substrate inhibition in microreactors. Novel, flexible microreactor design offering numerous input configurations. Improved yield and throughput compared to previous T-channel reactor design. Use of rapid, flexible and widely available laser ablation fabrication technique.
Biocatalytic synthesis in continuous-flow microreactors is of increasing interest for the production of specialty chemicals. However, the yield of production achievable in these reactors can be limited by the adverse effects of high substrate concentration on the biocatalyst, including inhibition and denaturation. Fed-batch reactors have been developed in order to overcome this problem, but no continuous-flow solution exists. We present the design of a novel multi-input microfluidic reactor, capable of substrate feeding at multiple points, as a first step towards overcoming these problems in a continuous-flow setting. Using the transketolase-(TK) catalysed reaction of lithium hydroxypyruvate (HPA) and glycolaldehyde (GA) to l-erythrulose (ERY), we demonstrate the transposition of a fed-batch substrate feeding strategy to our microfluidic reactor. We obtained a 4.5-fold increase in output concentration and a 5-fold increase in throughput compared with a single input reactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Lawrence
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK
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Jaccard N, Griffin LD, Keser A, Macown RJ, Super A, Veraitch FS, Szita N. Automated method for the rapid and precise estimation of adherent cell culture characteristics from phase contrast microscopy images. Biotechnol Bioeng 2013; 111:504-17. [PMID: 24037521 PMCID: PMC4260842 DOI: 10.1002/bit.25115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The quantitative determination of key adherent cell culture characteristics such as confluency, morphology, and cell density is necessary for the evaluation of experimental outcomes and to provide a suitable basis for the establishment of robust cell culture protocols. Automated processing of images acquired using phase contrast microscopy (PCM), an imaging modality widely used for the visual inspection of adherent cell cultures, could enable the non-invasive determination of these characteristics. We present an image-processing approach that accurately detects cellular objects in PCM images through a combination of local contrast thresholding and post hoc correction of halo artifacts. The method was thoroughly validated using a variety of cell lines, microscope models and imaging conditions, demonstrating consistently high segmentation performance in all cases and very short processing times (<1 s per 1,208 × 960 pixels image). Based on the high segmentation performance, it was possible to precisely determine culture confluency, cell density, and the morphology of cellular objects, demonstrating the wide applicability of our algorithm for typical microscopy image processing pipelines. Furthermore, PCM image segmentation was used to facilitate the interpretation and analysis of fluorescence microscopy data, enabling the determination of temporal and spatial expression patterns of a fluorescent reporter. We created a software toolbox (PHANTAST) that bundles all the algorithms and provides an easy to use graphical user interface. Source-code for MATLAB and ImageJ is freely available under a permissive open-source license. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 504–517. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Jaccard
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE, United Kingdom; Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Kirk TV, Szita N. Oxygen transfer characteristics of miniaturized bioreactor systems. Biotechnol Bioeng 2013; 110:1005-19. [PMID: 23280578 PMCID: PMC3790518 DOI: 10.1002/bit.24824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 12/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Since their introduction in 2001 miniaturized bioreactor systems have made great advances in function and performance. In this article the dissolved oxygen (DO) transfer performance of submilliliter microbioreactors, and 1–10 mL minibioreactors was examined. Microbioreactors have reached kLa values of 460 h-1, and are offering instrumentation and some functionality comparable to production systems, but at high throughput screening volumes. Minibioreactors, aside from one 1,440 h-1kLa system, have not offered as high rates of DO transfer, but have demonstrated superior integration with automated fluid handling systems. Microbioreactors have been typically limited to studies with E. coli, while minibioreactors have offered greater versatility in this regard. Further, mathematical relationships confirming the applicability of kLa measurements across all scales have been derived, and alternatives to fluorescence lifetime DO sensors have been evaluated. Finally, the influence on reactor performance of oxygen uptake rate (OUR), and the possibility of its real-time measurement have been explored. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1005–1019. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy V Kirk
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7JE United Kingdom
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Reichen M, Macown RJ, Jaccard N, Super A, Ruban L, Griffin LD, Veraitch FS, Szita N. Microfabricated modular scale-down device for regenerative medicine process development. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52246. [PMID: 23284952 PMCID: PMC3526573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The capacity of milli and micro litre bioreactors to accelerate process development has been successfully demonstrated in traditional biotechnology. However, for regenerative medicine present smaller scale culture methods cannot cope with the wide range of processing variables that need to be evaluated. Existing microfabricated culture devices, which could test different culture variables with a minimum amount of resources (e.g. expensive culture medium), are typically not designed with process development in mind. We present a novel, autoclavable, and microfabricated scale-down device designed for regenerative medicine process development. The microfabricated device contains a re-sealable culture chamber that facilitates use of standard culture protocols, creating a link with traditional small-scale culture devices for validation and scale-up studies. Further, the modular design can easily accommodate investigation of different culture substrate/extra-cellular matrix combinations. Inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (iMEF) and human embryonic stem cell (hESC) colonies were successfully seeded on gelatine-coated tissue culture polystyrene (TC-PS) using standard static seeding protocols. The microfluidic chip included in the device offers precise and accurate control over the culture medium flow rate and resulting shear stresses in the device. Cells were cultured for two days with media perfused at 300 µl.h−1 resulting in a modelled shear stress of 1.1×10−4 Pa. Following perfusion, hESC colonies stained positively for different pluripotency markers and retained an undifferentiated morphology. An image processing algorithm was developed which permits quantification of co-cultured colony-forming cells from phase contrast microscope images. hESC colony sizes were quantified against the background of the feeder cells (iMEF) in less than 45 seconds for high-resolution images, which will permit real-time monitoring of culture progress in future experiments. The presented device is a first step to harness the advantages of microfluidics for regenerative medicine process development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Reichen
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rhys J. Macown
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Jaccard
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandre Super
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ludmila Ruban
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lewis D. Griffin
- Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Farlan S. Veraitch
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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C. Hailes H, A. Dalby P, J. Lye G, Baganz F, Micheletti M, Szita N, M. Ward J. α, α -Dihydroxy Ketones and 2-Amino-1,3-diols: Synthetic and Process Strategies Using Biocatalysts. CURR ORG CHEM 2010. [DOI: 10.2174/138527210792927555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Szita N, Polizzi K, Jaccard N, Baganz F. Microfluidic approaches for systems and synthetic biology. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2010; 21:517-23. [PMID: 20829028 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2010.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2010] [Revised: 08/03/2010] [Accepted: 08/03/2010] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic systems miniaturise biological experimentation leading to reduced sample volume, analysis time and cost. Recent innovations have allowed the application of -omics approaches on the microfluidic scale. It is now possible to perform 1.5 million PCR reactions simultaneously, obtain transcriptomic data from as little as 150 cells (as few as 2 transcripts per gene of interest) and perform mass-spectrometric analyses online. For synthetic biology, unit operations have been developed that allow de novo construction of synthetic systems from oligonucleotide synthesis through to high-throughput, high efficiency electroporation of single cells or encapsulation into abiotic chassis enabling the processing of thousands of synthetic organisms per hour. Future directions include a push towards integrating more processes into a single device and replacing off-chip analyses where possible.
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Schäpper D, Alam MNHZ, Szita N, Eliasson Lantz A, Gernaey KV. Application of microbioreactors in fermentation process development: a review. Anal Bioanal Chem 2009; 395:679-95. [PMID: 19649621 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-009-2955-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2009] [Revised: 06/30/2009] [Accepted: 07/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schäpper
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark
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Boccazzi P, Zhang Z, Kurosawa K, Szita N, Bhattacharya S, Jensen KF, Sinskey AJ. Differential Gene Expression Profiles and Real-Time Measurements of Growth Parameters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Grown in Microliter-Scale Bioreactors Equipped with Internal Stirring. Biotechnol Prog 2006; 22:710-7. [PMID: 16739953 DOI: 10.1021/bp0504288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Combining real-time growth kinetics measurements with global gene expression analysis of microbial cultures is of significant value for high-throughput biological research. We have performed differential gene expression analysis in the eukaryotic model Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in galactose and glucose media in 150 muL bioreactors equipped with sensors for in situ and real-time measurements of optical density (OD), pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The microbioreactors were fabricated from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and equipped with internal magnetic ministirrers and evaporation compensation by water replacement. In galactose-grown cells, the core genes of the GAL operon GAL2, GAL1, GAL7, and GAL10 were upregulated at least 100-fold relative to glucose-grown cells. These differential gene expression levels were similar to those observed in large-scale culture vessels. The increasing rate at which complete genomic sequences of microorganisms are becoming available offers an unprecedented opportunity for comparative investigations of these organisms. Our results from S. cerevisiae cultures grown in instrumented microbioreactors show that it is possible to integrate high-throughput studies of growth physiology with global gene expression analysis of microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Boccazzi
- Department of Biology and Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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Abstract
We describe a 150 microL microbioreactor fabricated in poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to cultivate microbial cell cultures. Mixing is achieved by a small magnetic stir bar and fluorescent sensors are integrated for on-line measurement of pH and dissolved oxygen. Optical transmission measurements are used for cell density. The body of the reactor is poly(methylmethacrylate) with a thin layer of poly (dimethylsiloxane) for aeration, oxygen diffuses through this gas-permeable membrane into the microbioreactor to support metabolism of bacterial cells. Mixing in the reactor is characterized by observation of mixing of dyes and computational fluid dynamics simulations. The oxygenation is described in terms of measured K(L)a values for microbioreactor, 20-75/h corresponding to increasing stirring speed 200-800 rpm. Escherichia coli cell growth in the microbioreactor is demonstrated and the growth behavior is benchmarked with conventional bench-scale bioreactors, flasks and tubes. Batch culture experiments with Saccharomyces cerevisiae further demonstrate the reproducibility and flexibility of the microbioreactor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyu Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., 66-566, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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Szita N, Boccazzi P, Zhang Z, Boyle P, Sinskey AJ, Jensen KF. Development of a multiplexed microbioreactor system for high-throughput bioprocessing. Lab Chip 2005; 5:819-26. [PMID: 16027932 DOI: 10.1039/b504243g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
A multiplexed microbioreactor system for parallel operation of multiple microbial fermentation is described. The system includes miniature motors for magnetic stirring of the microbioreactors and optics to monitor the fermentation parameters optical density (OD), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH, in-situ and in real time. The microbioreactors are fabricated out of poly(methylmethacrylate)(PMMA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS), and have a working volume of 150 microl. Oxygenation of the cells occurs through a thin PDMS membrane at the top of the reactor chamber. Stirring is achieved with a magnetic spin bar in the reactor chamber. Parallel microbial fermentations with Escherichia coli are carried out in four stirred microbioreactors and demonstrate the reproducible performance of the multiplexed system. The profiles for OD, DO, and pH compare favourably to fermentations performed in bioreactor systems with multiple bench-scale reactors. Finally, the multiplexed system is used to compare two different reactor designs, demonstrating that the reproducibility of the system permits the quantification of microbioreactor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Szita
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., 66-566 Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Boccazzi P, Zanzotto A, Szita N, Bhattacharya S, Jensen KF, Sinskey AJ. Gene expression analysis of Escherichia coli grown in miniaturized bioreactor platforms for high-throughput analysis of growth and genomic data. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2005; 68:518-32. [PMID: 15821913 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-005-1966-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2005] [Revised: 03/09/2005] [Accepted: 03/12/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Combining high-throughput growth physiology and global gene expression data analysis is of significant value for integrating metabolism and genomics. We compared global gene expression using 500 ng of total RNA from Escherichia coli cultures grown in rich or defined minimal media in a miniaturized 50-microl bioreactor. The microbioreactor was fabricated out of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and glass and equipped to provide on-line, optical measurements. cDNA labeling for microarray hybridizations was performed with the GeniconRLS system. From these experiments, we found that the expression of 232 genes increased significantly in cells grown in minimum medium, including genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis and central metabolism. The expression of 275 genes was significantly elevated in cells grown in rich medium, including genes involved in the translational and motility apparatuses. In general, these changes in gene expression levels were similar to those observed in 1,000-fold larger cultures. The increasing rate at which complete genomic sequences of microorganisms are becoming available offers an unprecedented opportunity for investigating these organisms. Our results from microscale cultures using just 500 ng of total RNA indicate that high-throughput integration of growth physiology and genomics will be possible with novel biochemical platforms and improved detection technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Boccazzi
- Department of Biology and Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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Abstract
A microbioreactor with a volume of microliters is fabricated out of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and glass. Aeration of microbial cultures is through a gas-permeable PDMS membrane. Sensors are integrated for on-line measurement of optical density (OD), dissolved oxygen (DO), and pH. All three parameter measurements are based on optical methods. Optical density is monitored via transmittance measurements through the well of the microbioreactor while dissolved oxygen and pH are measured using fluorescence lifetime-based sensors incorporated into the body of the microbioreactor. Bacterial fermentations carried out in the microbioreactor under well-defined conditions are compared to results obtained in a 500-mL bench-scale bioreactor. It is shown that the behavior of the bacteria in the microbioreactor is similar to that in the larger bioreactor. This similarity includes growth kinetics, dissolved oxygen profile within the vessel over time, pH profile over time, final number of cells, and cell morphology. Results from off-line analysis of the medium to examine organic acid production and substrate utilization are presented. By changing the gaseous environmental conditions, it is demonstrated that oxygen levels within the microbioreactor can be manipulated. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the sensitivity and reproducibility of the microbioreactor system are such that statistically significant differences in the time evolution of the OD, DO, and pH can be used to distinguish between different physiological states. Finally, modeling of the transient oxygen transfer within the microbioreactor based on observed and predicted growth kinetics is used to quantitatively characterize oxygen depletion in the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Zanzotto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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Paranjape M, Roy S, Szita N. Biomed Microdevices 2001; 3:265-266. [DOI: 10.1023/a:1012438428741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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