P36: RoboLector Technology – Automated Fermentation Development in Online Monitored Microplates

Monday, November 7, 2011
Capri Ballroom (Marriott Marco Island)
Oliver Born, Le Wang and Frank Kensy, m2p-labs GmbH, Baesweiler, Germany
In order to meet the demand for rapid process development of bioprocess applications in industry and academia the RoboLector technology was developed. The RoboLector is the integration of the microfermentation system BioLector into a standard liquid-handling robot. This unique system provides high-throughput experimentation, high-information content and automation. It was designed to analyze the online monitoring from the BioLector (biomass concentration, pH and DO) and at the same time to interact with a standard liquid-handling robot, thus, allowing for signal-triggered and automated sampling, induction and fed-batch processing. In combination with a centrifuge and a cooling platform actually samples can even be taken automatically from the fermentation process and can be frozen down to -20°C for subsequent analysis. In the presented study the basic functions of the RoboLector were characterized. The system was applied to induce E. coli cells at different biomass values and to study the biomass dependent effect of induction on the expression of a recombinant enzyme. Furthermore, the DO-controlled feeding of Glycerol in a fed-batch fermentation of the yeast Hansenula polymorpha was conducted. High cell densities (OD > 150) and high concentrations of recombinant enzyme (Phytase) could be reached in 48 parallel fermentations with this method, thus, providing a good proof for validation of this new automated fermentation platform. We believe that the RoboLector platform is well suited to automate the whole bioprocess on a liquid-handling platform and generally, to speed up bioprocess development.
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