High Throughput Fermentation and Cell Culture Device

75861S The Genomes-to-Life (GTL) program has plans to grow multiple microorganisms in high throughput under a variety of carefully controlled-state conditions. To accomplish this, technology will be required to: (1) grow specific biomass under well-characterized states for proteomics, (2) rapidly identify optimal culture conditions for expression of tagged proteins and complexes, (3) express intact protein complexes, and (4) grow microbial cells in nonstandard conditions. To accomplish these objectives, this project will develop 24-well, cassette-based microreactor system with integrated control of critical culture parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature). Phase I designed and fabricated a prototype of a cassette-based bioreactor system that not only provided independent, closed-loop control of each well's pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, but also offered culture conditions similar to stirred-vessel bioreactors. The prototype was tested with a variety of microbial systems to demonstrate feasibility. During Phase II, the prototype instrument will be optimized, the consumables (cassettes and cassette closures) will be re-designed for mass production, and fluid handling capabilities and a new modular design will be added. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: A technology gap exists between systems that can be used for controlled cultivation (stirred vessel bioreactors) and systems that can be used in routine screening applications (microtiter plates, shake flasks, spinner bottles, roller bottles). The microreactor system should bridge this gap, creating a set of screening tools capable of controlled cultivation. Applications include public initiatives (the DOE Genomes-to-Life Program and the NIH Protein Structure Initiative), industrial biotechnology (food, animal feed, paper, cleaning products, cosmetics, textiles), and medicine (protein therapeutics are projected to exceed $50 Billion by 2018).