Low-cost microbioreactor for high-throughput bioprocessing

TLDR

The study presents the design of a low‑cost 2 mL microbioreactor for high‑throughput bioprocessing. The reactor incorporates an optical sensing system for continuous pH, dissolved oxygen, and optical density monitoring, and its mass‑transfer coefficient (KLa) was characterized under various conditions. Fermentation of *E. coli* in the microbioreactor produced pH, dissolved oxygen, and optical density profiles comparable to a 1 L bioreactor, demonstrating that the low‑cost, small‑volume system can support high‑throughput optimization.

Abstract

The design of a microbioreactor is described. An optical sensing system was used for continuous measurements of pH, dissolved oxygen, and optical density in a 2 mL working volume. The KLa of the microbioreactor was evaluated under different conditions. An Escherichia coli fermentation in both the microbioreactor and a standard 1 L bioreactor showed similar pH, dissolved oxygen, and optical density profiles.%The low cost of the microbioreactor, detection system, and the small volume of the fermentation broth provide a basis for development of a multiple-bioreactor system for high-throughput bioprocess optimization. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 72: 346–352, 2001.