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Lam AT, Reuveny S, Oh SKW. Human mesenchymal stem cell therapy for cartilage repair: Review on isolation, expansion, and constructs. Stem Cell Res 2020; 44:101738. [DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.101738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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Laco F, Lam ATL, Woo TL, Tong G, Ho V, Soong PL, Grishina E, Lin KH, Reuveny S, Oh SKW. Selection of human induced pluripotent stem cells lines optimization of cardiomyocytes differentiation in an integrated suspension microcarrier bioreactor. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:118. [PMID: 32183888 PMCID: PMC7076930 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01618-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [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: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The production of large quantities of cardiomyocyte is essential for the needs of cellular therapies. This study describes the selection of a human-induced pluripotent cell (hiPSC) line suitable for production of cardiomyocytes in a fully integrated bioprocess of stem cell expansion and differentiation in microcarrier stirred tank reactor. Methods Five hiPSC lines were evaluated first for their cardiac differentiation efficiency in monolayer cultures followed by their expansion and differentiation compatibility in microcarrier (MC) cultures under continuous stirring conditions. Results Three cell lines were highly cardiogenic but only one (FR202) of them was successfully expanded on continuous stirring MC cultures. FR202 was thus selected for cardiac differentiation in a 22-day integrated bioprocess under continuous stirring in a stirred tank bioreactor. In summary, we integrated a MC-based hiPSC expansion (phase 1), CHIR99021-induced cardiomyocyte differentiation step (phase 2), purification using the lactate-based treatment (phase 3) and cell recovery step (phase 4) into one process in one bioreactor, under restricted oxygen control (< 30% DO) and continuous stirring with periodic batch-type media exchanges. High density of undifferentiated hiPSC (2 ± 0.4 × 106 cells/mL) was achieved in the expansion phase. By controlling the stirring speed and DO levels in the bioreactor cultures, 7.36 ± 1.2 × 106 cells/mL cardiomyocytes with > 80% Troponin T were generated in the CHIR99021-induced differentiation phase. By adding lactate in glucose-free purification media, the purity of cardiomyocytes was enhanced (> 90% Troponin T), with minor cell loss as indicated by the increase in sub-G1 phase and the decrease of aggregate sizes. Lastly, we found that the recovery period is important for generating purer and functional cardiomyocytes (> 96% Troponin T). Three independent runs in a 300-ml working volume confirmed the robustness of this process. Conclusion A streamlined and controllable platform for large quantity manufacturing of pure functional atrial, ventricular and nodal cardiomyocytes on MCs in conventional-type stirred tank bioreactors was established, which can be further scaled up and translated to a good manufacturing practice-compliant production process, to fulfill the quantity requirements of the cellular therapeutic industry. Supplementary information The online version of this article (10.1186/s13287-020-01618-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Laco
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Alan Tin-Lun Lam
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Singapore.
| | - Tsung-Liang Woo
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Gerine Tong
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Valerie Ho
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Poh-Loong Soong
- Ternion Biosciences, National Heart Centre of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Elina Grishina
- Ternion Biosciences, National Heart Centre of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kun-Han Lin
- Ternion Biosciences, National Heart Centre of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Singapore.
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Lam ATL, Sim EJH, Shekaran A, Li J, Teo KL, Goggi JL, Reuveny S, Birch WR, Oh SKW. Sub-confluent culture of human mesenchymal stromal cells on biodegradable polycaprolactone microcarriers enhances bone healing of rat calvarial defect. Cytotherapy 2019; 21:631-642. [PMID: 30975604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2019.03.004] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In the current emerging trend of using human mesenchymal stromal cell (MSCs) for cell therapy, large quantities of cells are needed for clinical testing. Current methods of culturing cells, using tissue culture flasks or cell multilayer vessels, are proving to be ineffective in terms of cost, space and manpower. Therefore, alternatives such as large-scale industrialized production of MSCs in stirred tank bioreactors using microcarriers (MCs) are needed. Moreover, the development of biodegradable MCs for MSC expansion can streamline the bioprocess by eliminating the need for enzymatic cell harvesting and scaffold seeding for bone-healing therapies. Our previous studies described a process of making regulated density (1.06 g/cm3) porous polycaprolactone biodegradable MCs Light Polycarprolactone (LPCL) (MCs), which were used for expanding MSCs from various sources in stirred suspension culture. Here, we use human early MSCs (heMSCs) expanded on LPCL MCs for evaluation of their osteogenic differentiation potential in vitro as well as their use in vivo calvarial defect treatment in a rat model. In summary, (i) in vitro data show that LPCL MCs can be used to efficiently expand heMSCs in stirred cultures while maintaining surface marker expression; (ii) LPCL MCs can be used as scaffolds for cell transfer for transplantation in vivo; (iii) 50% sub-confluency, mid-logarithmic phase, on LPCL MCs (50% confluent) exhibited higher secretion levels of six cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), growth-regulated oncogene-α (GRO-α) and stromal cell-derived factor-1α (SDF-1α)) as compared with 100% confluent, stationary phase cultures (100% confluent); (iv) these 50% confluent cultures demonstrated better in vitro osteogenic differentiation capacity as compared with 100% confluent cultures (higher levels of calcium deposition and at earlier stage); the improved bone differentiation capacity of these 50% confluent cultures was also demonstrated at the molecular level by higher expression of early osteoblast genes Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collagen type I, osterix and osteocalcin); and (v) in vivo implantation of biodegradable LPCL MCs covered with 50% heMSCs into rats with calvarial defect demonstrated significantly better bone formation as compared with heMSCs obtained from monolayer cultures (5.1 ± 1.6 mm3 versus 1.3 ± 0.7 mm3). Moreover, the LPCL MCs covered with 50% heMSCs supported better in vivo bone formation compared with 100% confluent culture (2.1 ± 1.3 mm3). Taken together, our study highlights the potential of implanting 50% confluent MSCs propagated on LPCL MCs as optimal for bone regeneration. This methodology allows for the production of large numbers of MSCs in a three-dimensional (3D) stirred reactor, while supporting improved bone healing and eliminating the need for a 3D matrix support scaffold, as traditionally used in bone-healing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Tin-Lun Lam
- Stem Cell Group 2 Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore.
| | - Eileen Jia-Hui Sim
- Stem Cell Group 2 Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Asha Shekaran
- Stem Cell Group 2 Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Jian Li
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Kim-Leng Teo
- Stem Cell Group 2 Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Julian L Goggi
- Isotopic Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- Stem Cell Group 2 Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - William R Birch
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- Stem Cell Group 2 Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
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Lee E, Sivalingam J, Lim ZR, Chia G, Shi LG, Roberts M, Loh YH, Reuveny S, Oh SKW. Review: In vitro generation of red blood cells for transfusion medicine: Progress, prospects and challenges. Biotechnol Adv 2018; 36:2118-2128. [PMID: 30273713 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In vitro generation of red blood cells (RBCs) has the potential to circumvent the shortfalls in global demand for blood for transfusion applications. The conventional approach for RBC generation has been from differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) derived from cord blood, adult bone marrow or peripheral blood. More recently, RBCs have been generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) as well as from immortalized adult erythroid progenitors. In this review, we highlight the recent advances to RBC generation from these different approaches and discuss the challenges and new strategies that can potentially make large-scale in vitro generation of RBCs a feasible approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmond Lee
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Jaichandran Sivalingam
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Zhong Ri Lim
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Gloryn Chia
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Low Gin Shi
- Brilliant Research Pte. Ltd, Singapore 139955, Republic of Singapore
| | - Mackenna Roberts
- Oxford-University College London Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Yuin-Han Loh
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138668, Republic of Singapore
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Sivalingam J, Chen HY, Yang BX, Lim ZR, Lam ATL, Woo TL, Chen AKL, Reuveny S, Loh YH, Oh SKW. Improved erythroid differentiation of multiple human pluripotent stem cell lines in microcarrier culture by modulation of Wnt/β-Catenin signaling. Haematologica 2018. [PMID: 29519863 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2017.180919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jaichandran Sivalingam
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Hong Yu Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Bin-Xia Yang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Zhong Ri Lim
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Alan Tin Lun Lam
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Tsung Liang Woo
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Allen Kuan-Liang Chen
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yuin-Han Loh
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Republic of Singapore
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Lee E, Lim ZR, Chen HY, Yang BX, Lam ATL, Chen AKL, Sivalingam J, Reuveny S, Loh YH, Oh SKW. Defined Serum-Free Medium for Bioreactor Culture of an Immortalized Human Erythroblast Cell Line. Biotechnol J 2018; 13:e1700567. [PMID: 29330927 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201700567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Anticipated shortages in donated blood supply have prompted investigation of alternative approaches for in vitro production of red blood cells (RBCs), such as expansion of conditional immortalization erythroid progenitors. However, there is a bioprocessing challenge wherein factors promoting maximal cell expansion and growth-limiting inhibitory factors are yet to be investigated. The authors use an erythroblast cell line (ImEry) derived from immortalizing CD71+CD235a+ erythroblast from adult peripheral blood for optimization of expansion culture conditions. Design of experiments (DOE) is used in media formulation to explore relationships and interactive effects between factors which affect cell expansion. Our in-house optimized medium formulation produced significantly higher cell densities (3.62 ± 0.055) × 106 cells mL-1 , n = 3) compared to commercial formulations (2.07 ± 0.055) × 106 cells mL-1 , n = 3; at 209 h culture). Culture media costs per unit of blood is shown to have a 2.96-3.09 times cost reduction. As a proof of principle for scale up, ImEry are expanded in a half-liter stirred-bioreactor under controlled settings. Growth characteristics, metabolic, and molecular profile of the cells are evaluated. ImEry has identical O2 binding capacity to adult erythroblasts. Amino acid supplementation results in further yield improvements. The study serves as a first step for scaling up erythroblast expansion in controlled bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmond Lee
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros, Level 4, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore.,Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, 265 Campus Drive, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Zhong Ri Lim
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros, Level 4, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Hong-Yu Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Bin Xia Yang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Alan Tin-Lun Lam
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros, Level 4, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Allen Kuan-Liang Chen
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros, Level 4, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Jaichandran Sivalingam
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros, Level 4, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros, Level 4, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yuin-Han Loh
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Republic of Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 20 Biopolis Way, Centros, Level 4, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
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Li J, Lam ATL, Toh JPW, Reuveny S, Oh SKW, Birch WR. Tunable Volumetric Density and Porous Structure of Spherical Poly-ε-caprolactone Microcarriers, as Applied in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Expansion. Langmuir 2017; 33:3068-3079. [PMID: 28221044 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b00125] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Polymeric microspheres may serve as microcarrier (MC) matrices, for the expansion of anchorage-dependent stem cells. They require surface properties that promote both initial cell adhesion and the subsequent spreading of cells, which is a prerequisite for successful expansion. When implemented in a three-dimensional culture environment, under agitation, their suspension under low shear rates depends on the MCs having a modest negative buoyancy, with a density of 1.02-1.05 g/cm3. Bioresorbable poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL), with a density of 1.14 g/cm3, requires a reduction in volumetric density, for the microspheres to achieve high cell viability and yields. Uniform-sized droplets, from solutions of PCL dissolved in dichloromethane (DCM), were generated by coaxial microfluidic geometry. Subsequent exposure to ethanol rapidly extracted the DCM solvent, solidifying the droplets and yielding monodisperse microspheres with a porous structure, which was demonstrated to have tunable porosity and a hollow inner core. The variation in process parameters, including the molecular weight of PCL, its concentration in DCM, and the ethanol concentration, served to effectively alter the diffusion flux between ethanol and DCM, resulting in a broad spectrum of volumetric densities of 1.04-1.11 g/cm3. The solidified microspheres are generally covered by a smooth thin skin, which provides a uniform cell culture surface and masks their internal porous structure. When coated with a cationic polyelectrolyte and extracellular matrix protein, monodisperse microspheres with a diameter of approximately 150 μm and densities ranging from 1.05-1.11 g/cm3 are capable of supporting the expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Validation of hMSC expansion was carried out with a positive control of commercial Cytodex 3 MCs and a negative control of uncoated low-density PCL MCs. Static culture conditions generated more than 70% cell attachment and similar yields of sixfold cell expansion on all coated MCs, with poor cell attachment and growth on the negative control. Under agitation, coated porous microspheres, with a low density of 1.05 g/cm3, achieved robust cell attachment and resulted in high cell yields of ninefold cell expansion, comparable with those generated by commercial Cytodex 3 MCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, 138634, Singapore
| | - Alan Tin-Lun Lam
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01, 138668, Singapore
| | - Jessica Pei Wen Toh
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, 138634, Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01, 138668, Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01, 138668, Singapore
| | - William R Birch
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) , 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, 138634, Singapore
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Sivalingam J, Lam ATL, Chen HY, Yang BX, Chen AKL, Reuveny S, Loh YH, Oh SKW. Superior Red Blood Cell Generation from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Through a Novel Microcarrier-Based Embryoid Body Platform. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2016; 22:765-80. [PMID: 27392822 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2015.0579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In vitro generation of red blood cells (RBCs) from human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells appears to be a promising alternate approach to circumvent shortages in donor-derived blood supplies for clinical applications. Conventional methods for hematopoietic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) rely on embryoid body (EB) formation and/or coculture with xenogeneic cell lines. However, most current methods for hPSC expansion and EB formation are not amenable for scale-up to levels required for large-scale RBC generation. Moreover, differentiation methods that rely on xenogenic cell lines would face obstacles for future clinical translation. In this study, we report the development of a serum-free and chemically defined microcarrier-based suspension culture platform for scalable hPSC expansion and EB formation. Improved survival and better quality EBs generated with the microcarrier-based method resulted in significantly improved mesoderm induction and, when combined with hematopoietic differentiation, resulted in at least a 6-fold improvement in hematopoietic precursor expansion, potentially culminating in a 80-fold improvement in the yield of RBC generation compared to a conventional EB-based differentiation method. In addition, we report efficient terminal maturation and generation of mature enucleated RBCs using a coculture system that comprised primary human mesenchymal stromal cells. The microcarrier-based platform could prove to be an appealing strategy for future scale-up of hPSC culture, EB generation, and large-scale generation of RBCs under defined and xeno-free conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaichandran Sivalingam
- 1 Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Alan Tin-Lun Lam
- 1 Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Hong Yu Chen
- 2 Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Bin Xia Yang
- 2 Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Allen Kuan-Liang Chen
- 1 Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- 1 Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yuin-Han Loh
- 2 Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore .,3 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore , Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- 1 Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
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Lam ATL, Li J, Chen AKL, Birch WR, Reuveny S, Oh SKW. Improved Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Attachment and Spreading on Xeno-Free Laminin-521-Coated Microcarriers Results in Efficient Growth in Agitated Cultures. Biores Open Access 2015; 4:242-57. [PMID: 26309800 PMCID: PMC4540119 DOI: 10.1089/biores.2015.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) are self-renewing cells having the potential of differentiation into the three lineages of somatic cells and thus can be medically used in diverse cellular therapies. One of the requirements for achieving these clinical applications is development of completely defined xeno-free systems for large-scale cell expansion and differentiation. Previously, we demonstrated that microcarriers (MCs) coated with mouse laminin-111 (LN111) and positively charged poly-l-lysine (PLL) critically enable the formation and evolution of cells/MC aggregates with high cell yields obtained under agitated conditions. In this article, we further improved the MC system into a defined xeno-free MC one in which the MCs are coated with recombinant human laminin-521 (LN521) alone without additional positive charge. The high binding affinity of the LN521 to cell integrins enables efficient initial HES-3 cell attachment (87%) and spreading (85%), which leads to generation of cells/MC aggregates (400 μm in size) and high cell yields (2.4–3.5×106 cells/mL) within 7 days in agitated plate and scalable spinner cultures. The universality of the system was demonstrated by propagation of an induced pluripotent cells line in this defined MC system. Long-term pluripotent (>90% expression Tra-1-60) cell expansion and maintenance of normal karyotype was demonstrated after 10 cell passages. Moreover, tri-lineage differentiation as well as directed differentiation into cardiomyocytes was achieved. The new LN521-based MC system offers a defined, xeno-free, GMP-compatible, and scalable bioprocessing platform for the production of hPSC with the quantity and quality compliant for clinical applications. Use of LN521 on MCs enabled a 34% savings in matrix and media costs over monolayer cultures to produce 108 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Tin-Lun Lam
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore , Singapore
| | - Jian Li
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore , Singapore
| | - Allen Kuan-Liang Chen
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore , Singapore
| | - William R Birch
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore , Singapore
| | - Shaul Reuveny
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore , Singapore
| | - Steve Kah-Weng Oh
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), Singapore , Singapore
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Lam ATL, Chen AKL, Li J, Birch WR, Reuveny S, Oh SKW. Conjoint propagation and differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to cardiomyocytes in a defined microcarrier spinner culture. Stem Cell Res Ther 2014; 5:110. [PMID: 25223792 PMCID: PMC4183116 DOI: 10.1186/scrt498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Myocardial infarction is accompanied by a significant loss of cardiomyocytes (CMs). Functional CMs, differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), offer a potentially unlimited cell source for cardiac disease therapies and regenerative cardiovascular medicine. However, conventional production methods on monolayer culture surfaces cannot adequately supply the large numbers of cells required for such treatments. To this end, an integrated microcarrier (MC) bioprocessing system for hESC propagation and subsequent CM differentiation was developed. Methods Production of hESC-derived CMs was initially established in monolayer cultures. This control condition was compared against hESC expansion on laminin-coated MC with cationic surface charge, in a stirred serum-free defined culture. Following expansion, the hESC/MC aggregates were placed in a CM differentiation medium, using Wnt signalling modulators in four different culture conditions. This process eliminated the need for manual colony cutting. The final optimized protocol was tested in stirred spinner flasks, combining expansion and differentiation on the same MC, with only media changes during the culture process. Results In the propagation phase, a 15-fold expansion of viable pluripotent HES-3 was achieved, with homogeneous sized aggregates of 316 ± 11 μm. Of the four differentiation conditions, stirred spinner flask cultures (MC-Sp) provided the best controlled aggregate sizes and yielded 1.9 × 106 CM/ml, as compared to 0.5 × 106 CM/ml using the monolayer cultures method: a four-fold increase in CM/ml. Similar results (1.3 × 106 CM/ml) were obtained with an alternative hESC H7 line. The hESC/MC-derived CM expressed cardiac-specific transcription factors, structural, ion channel genes, and exhibited cross-striations of sarcomeric proteins, thus confirming their cardiac ontogeny. Moreover, E-4031 (0.3 μM) prolonged the QT-interval duration by 40% and verapamil (3 μM) reduced it by 45%, illustrating the suitability of these CM for pharmacological assays. Conclusions We have demonstrated a robust and scalable microcarrier system for generating hESC-derived CM. This platform is enabled by defined microcarrier matrices and it integrates cell propagation and differentiation within a continuous process, in serum-free culture media. It can generate significant numbers of CM, which are potentially suitable for future clinical therapies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/scrt498) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Lam ATL, Li J, Chen AKL, Reuveny S, Oh SKW, Birch WR. Cationic surface charge combined with either vitronectin or laminin dictates the evolution of human embryonic stem cells/microcarrier aggregates and cell growth in agitated cultures. Stem Cells Dev 2014; 23:1688-703. [PMID: 24641164 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2013.0645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The expansion of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) for biomedical applications generally compels a defined, reliable, and scalable platform. Bioreactors offer a three-dimensional culture environment that relies on the implementation of microcarriers (MC), as supports for cell anchorage and their subsequent growth. Polystyrene microspheres/MC coated with adhesion-promoting extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, vitronectin (VN), or laminin (LN) have been shown to support hPSC expansion in a static environment. However, they are insufficient to promote human embryonic stem cells (hESC) seeding and their expansion in an agitated environment. The present study describes an innovative technology, consisting of a cationic charge that underlies the ECM coatings. By combining poly-L-lysine (PLL) with a coating of ECM protein, cell attachment efficiency and cell spreading are improved, thus enabling seeding under agitation in a serum-free medium. This coating combination also critically enables the subsequent formation and evolution of hPSC/MC aggregates, which ensure cell viability and generate high yields. Aggregate dimensions of at least 300 μm during early cell growth give rise to ≈15-fold expansion at 7 days' culture. Increasing aggregate numbers at a quasi-constant size of ≈300 μm indicates hESC growth within a self-regulating microenvironment. PLL+LN enables cell seeding and aggregate evolution under constant agitation, whereas PLL+VN requires an intermediate 2-day static pause to attain comparable aggregate sizes and correspondingly high expansion yields. The cells' highly reproducible bioresponse to these defined and characterized MC surface properties is universal across multiple cell lines, thus confirming the robustness of this scalable expansion process in a defined environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Tin-Lun Lam
- 1 Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore , Singapore
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Goh TKP, Zhang ZY, Chen AKL, Reuveny S, Choolani M, Chan JKY, Oh SKW. Microcarrier culture for efficient expansion and osteogenic differentiation of human fetal mesenchymal stem cells. Biores Open Access 2013; 2:84-97. [PMID: 23593561 PMCID: PMC3620494 DOI: 10.1089/biores.2013.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Stirred microcarrier (MC) culture has been suggested as the method of choice for supplying large volumes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for bone tissue engineering. In this study, we show that in addition to the improvement in cell expansion capacity, MSCs propagated and harvested from MC culture also demonstrate higher osteogenic potency when differentiated in vivo or in vitro in three-dimensional (3D) scaffold cultures as compared with traditional monolayer (MNL) cultures. Cytodex 3 microcarrier-expanded human fetal MSC (hfMSC) cultures (MC-hfMSCs) achieved 12- to 16-fold expansion efficiency (6×105–8×105 cells/mL) compared to 4- to 6-fold (1.2×105–1.8×105 cells/mL) achieved by traditional MNL-expanded hfMSC culture (MNL-hfMSCs; p<0.05). Both MC-hfMSCs and MNL-hfMSCs maintained similar colony-forming capacity, doubling times, and immunophenotype postexpansion. However, when differentiated under in vitro two-dimensional (2D) osteogenic conditions, MC-hfMSCs exhibited a 45-fold reduction in alkaline phosphatase level and a 37.5% decrease in calcium deposition compared with MNL-hfMSCs (p<0.05). Surprisingly, when MC-hfMSCs and MNL-hfMSCs were seeded on 3D macroporous scaffold culture or subcutaneously implanted into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice, MC-hfMSCs deposited 63.5% (p<0.05) more calcium and formed 47.2% (p<0.05) more bone volume, respectively. These results suggest that the mode of hfMSC growth in the expansion phase affects the osteogenic potential of hfMSCs differently in various differentiation platforms. In conclusion, MC cultures are advantageous over MNL cultures in bone tissue engineering because MC-hfMSCs have improved cell expansion capacity and exhibit higher osteogenic potential than MNL-hfMSCs when seeded in vitro into 3D scaffolds or implanted in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Kwang-Poh Goh
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute , Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (ASTAR), Singapore
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Heng BC, Li J, Chen AKL, Reuveny S, Cool SM, Birch WR, Oh SKW. Translating human embryonic stem cells from 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional cultures in a defined medium on laminin- and vitronectin-coated surfaces. Stem Cells Dev 2011; 21:1701-15. [PMID: 22034857 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2011.0509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
While defining the environment for human embryonic stem cell (hESC) culture on 2-dimensional (2D) surfaces has made rapid progress, the industrial-scale implementation of this technology will benefit from translating this knowledge into a 3-dimensional (3D) system, thus enabling better control, automation, and volumetric scale-up in bioreactors. The current study describes a system with defined conditions that are capable of supporting the long-term 2D culture of hESCs and the transposing of these conditions to 3D microcarrier (MC) cultures. Vitronectin (VN) and laminin (LN) were chosen as matrices for the long-term propagation of hESCs in a defined culture medium (STEMPRO(®)) for conventional 2D culture. Adsorption of these proteins onto 2D tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) indicated that surface density saturation of 510 and 850 ng/cm(2) for VN and LN, respectively, was attained above 20 μg/mL deposition solution concentration. Adsorption of these proteins onto spherical (97±10 μm), polystyrene MC followed a similar trend and coating surface densities of 450 and 650 ng/cm(2) for VN and LN, respectively, were used to support hESC propagation. The long-term expansion of hESCs was equally successful on TCPS and MC, with consistently high expression (>90%) of pluripotent markers (OCT-4, MAB-84, and TRA-1-60) over 20 passages and maintenance of karyotypic normality. The average fold increase in cell numbers on VN-coated MC per serial passage was 8.5±1.0, which was similar to LN-coated MC (8.5±0.9). Embryoid body differentiation assays and teratoma formation confirmed that hESCs retained the ability to differentiate into lineages of all 3 germ layers, thus demonstrating the first translation to a fully defined MC-based environment for the expansion of hESCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boon Chin Heng
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
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Chan KKK, Zhang J, Chia NY, Chan YS, Sim HS, Tan KS, Oh SKW, Ng HH, Choo ABH. KLF4 and PBX1 directly regulate NANOG expression in human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 2009; 27:2114-25. [PMID: 19522013 DOI: 10.1002/stem.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [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: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Insight into the regulation of core transcription factors is important for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control self-renewal and pluripotency of human ESCs (hESCs). However, the transcriptional regulation of NANOG itself in hESCs has largely been elusive. We established a NANOG promoter luciferase reporter assay as a fast read-out for indicating the pluripotent status of hESCs. From the functional cDNA screens and NANOG promoter characterization, we successfully identified a zinc finger transcription factor KLF4 and a homeodomain transcription factor PBX1 as two novel transcriptional regulators that maintain the pluripotent and undifferentiated state of hESCs. We showed that both KLF4 and PBX1 mRNA and protein expression were downregulated during hESC differentiation. In addition, overexpression of KLF4 and PBX1 upregulated NANOG promoter activity and also the endogenous NANOG protein expression in hESCs. Direct binding of KLF4 on NANOG proximal promoter and PBX1 on a new upstream enhancer and proximal promoter were confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Knockdown of KLF4/PBX1 or mutation of KLF4/PBX1 binding motifs significantly downregulated NANOG promoter activity. We also showed that specific members of the SP/KLF and PBX family are functionally redundant at the NANOG promoter and that KLF4 and PBX1 cooperated with OCT4 and SOX2, and transactivated synergistically the NANOG promoter activity. Our results show two novel upstream transcription activators of NANOG that are functionally important for the self-renewal of hESC and provide new insights into the expanded regulatory circuitry that maintains hESC pluripotency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Kwok-Keung Chan
- Stem Cell Group, Bioprocessing Technology Institute, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, Singapore.
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Ow DSW, Lee DY, Yap MGS, Oh SKW. Identification of cellular objective for elucidating the physiological state of plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli using genome-scale in silico analysis. Biotechnol Prog 2009; 25:61-7. [PMID: 19224555 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The presence of multiple copies of plasmids in Escherichia coli could induce a complex cascade of physiological changes known as the metabolic burden response. In this work, the physiological effect of such plasmid metabolic burden on E. coli metabolism was investigated by constraint-based genome-scale flux modeling. We systematically applied three cellular objectives: (a) maximizing growth rate, (b) maximizing plasmid production, and (c) maximizing maintenance energy expenditure to quantify in silico flux distributions. These simulated results were compared with experimental flux information to identify which of these cellular objectives best describes the physiological and metabolic states of plasmid-bearing (P+) E. coli. Unlike the wild-type E. coli cells that have directed the metabolism toward an optimum growth rate under the nutrient-limited condition, the maximum growth rate objective could not correctly predict the metabolic state of recombinant P+ cells. Instead, flux simulations by maximizing maintenance energy expenditure showed good consistency with experimental observation, indicating that the P+ cells are energetically less efficient and could require higher maintenance energy. This study demonstrates that the cellular objective of maximizing maintenance energy expenditure provides a better description of the underlying physiological state in recombinant microorganisms relevant to biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Siak-Wei Ow
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), Biopolis, Singapore 138668
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Selvarasu S, Ow DSW, Lee SY, Lee MM, Oh SKW, Karimi IA, Lee DY. CharacterizingEscherichia coliDH5α growth and metabolism in a complex medium using genome-scale flux analysis. Biotechnol Bioeng 2009; 102:923-34. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.22119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Ow DSW, Lee RMY, Nissom PM, Philp R, Oh SKW, Yap MGS. Inactivating FruR global regulator in plasmid-bearing Escherichia coli alters metabolic gene expression and improves growth rate. J Biotechnol 2007; 131:261-9. [PMID: 17719117 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2007.07.508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [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: 02/15/2007] [Revised: 06/14/2007] [Accepted: 07/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The introduction of plasmids into Escherichia coli is known to impose a metabolic burden, which diminishes the growth rate. This effect could arise from perturbation of the central metabolic pathways, which supply precursors and energy for macromolecule synthesis. We knocked out a global regulator of central metabolism, FruR (also called Cra), to assess its phenotypic effect in E. coli carrying plasmids. During bioreactor runs, a higher specific growth rate of 0.91h(-1) was observed for the plasmid-bearing fruR knockout (P+ fruR) cells compared to its parental plasmid-bearing wildtype (P+ WT) cells (0.75h(-1)), while both the plasmid-free cells displayed similar growth rates (1.0h(-1), respectively). To investigate gene expression changes possibly related to the growth rate recovery, quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and 2DE proteomic studies were performed. In P+ fruR cells, expression of enzymes involved in sugar catabolism, glycolysis and transcription/translation processes were upregulated, while those related to gluconeogenesis, tricarboxylic acid cycle and stress response were downregulated. Our findings demonstrate that the inactivation of FruR global regulator in recombinant E. coli alters metabolic gene expression and significantly reduces growth retardation from the burden of maintaining a plasmid. This study represents the first attempt to explore the role of a global regulatory gene on plasmid metabolic burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Siak-Wei Ow
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute, 20 Biopolis Way, #06-01 Centros, Singapore 138668, Singapore.
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Ow DSW, Nissom PM, Philp R, Oh SKW, Yap MGS. Global transcriptional analysis of metabolic burden due to plasmid maintenance in Escherichia coli DH5α during batch fermentation. Enzyme Microb Technol 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2005.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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