Advanced microscale bioreactor system: a representative scale-down model for bench-top bioreactors

• Published in: Cytotechnology (Dordrecht) 2012-12, Vol.64 (6), p.667-678
• Main Authors: Hsu, Wei-Ting, Aulakh, Rigzen P. S., Traul, Donald L., Yuk, Inn H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Batch culture; Biochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedicine; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Cell culture; Cell lines; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chromatography; Dihydrofolate reductase; Dissolved oxygen; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucose; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Monoclonal antibodies; Original Research; Product quality; Productivity; Proteins; Sensors; Various methods and equipments
• ISSN: 0920-9069; 1573-0778
• DOI: 10.1007/s10616-012-9446-1

In recent years, several automated scale-down bioreactor systems have been developed to increase efficiency in cell culture process development. ambr™ is an automated workstation that provides individual monitoring and control of culture dissolved oxygen and pH in single-use, stirred-tank bioreactors at a working volume of 10–15 mL. To evaluate the ambr™ system, we compared the performance of four recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell lines in a fed-batch process in parallel ambr™, 2-L bench-top bioreactors, and shake flasks. Cultures in ambr™ matched 2-L bioreactors in controlling the environment (temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH) and in culture performance (growth, viability, glucose, lactate, Na + , osmolality, titer, and product quality). However, cultures in shake flasks did not show comparable performance to the ambr™ and 2-L bioreactors.