The oscillatory conditions in industrial-scale fed-batch cultivations are mimicked in multi-compartment scale-down reactors. The impact of gradients on the cellular behavior, regulatory network and population homogeneity are observed. All projects aim to discover targets for strain and process optimization and suitable process analytical tools to improve scale up and industrial scale processes performance. Several questions are currently adressed in research.

Projects

• Impact of oscillating conditions on the synthesis of branched-chain amino acids in Escherichia coli and their incorporation into recombinant proteins (BCAA)


• Impact of oscillating conditions on the morphology and physiology of Corynebacterium glutamicum (SCILS)


• Impact of oxygen gradients on the sterol synthesis in yeast (STEROL)

Single-use bioreactors have gained an increasing importance in recent years in the pharmaceutical production. Wave-mixed reactors were among the first systems, which were applied. The 2-dimensional rocking motion of the CELL-tainer^® from Celltainer Biotech is further developed and applied for bacterial, algal and yeast cultivations with the cooperation partner DMT. A uniquely high oxygen transfer rate of up to 400 h^-1 is achieved in this reactor concept in a scale between 1L and 200 L.

Projects

• Cultivation of Escherichia coli in a single-use bioreactor concept for recombinant protein production


• Cultivation of the shear sensitive microalgae Cryptecodinium cohnii as an example for accelerated process development of marine culture