Monday, November 9, 2009 - 4:00 PM
S18
Phenotype MicroArray Technology: A "Phenomics" Tool for Studying Cells and Optimizing BioProcesses
Phenotype MicroArray™ (PM) Technology is a unique platform that can be used in BioProcess development projects with virtually any type of cell: bacterial, fungal, or animal. The technology allows scientists to quickly and easily culture cells under hundreds or thousands of diverse culture conditions and simultaneously examine important parameters such as in vivo pathway activities and cell productivity. A companion instrument, the OmniLog®, can monitor 5,000 culture assays at a time and provide detailed kinetics. PMs are sets of ~2,000 preloaded cell culture assays that are performed in a standard 96-well microplate format comprised of basic cellular nutrition assays for C, N, P, and S metabolism (800 tests), pH growth range and regulation of pH control (100 tests), sensitivity to NaCl and various other ions (100 tests), and sensitivity to chemical agents that disrupt various biological pathways (1,000 tests). A slightly different set is available for animal cells. With PM technology, cell lines can be quickly and easily assessed in great detail in terms of their metabolic and chemical sensitivity phenotypes. The assay platform uses proprietary colorimetric redox dye chemistries to measure cell respiration as an alternative option to measuring growth. Examples will be presented to show how information from these assays can enlighten the user on medium composition effects on cell growth, productivity, viability, stability/instability/differentiation, and other aspects important to BioProcess improvement. By assessing the value of many culture parameters, the technology helps in efficiently finding a global process optimum in terms of both growth and culture productivity.
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