Design and evaluation of a 3D‐printed, lab‐scale perfusion bioreactor for novel biotechnological applications

Abstract

Abstract3D‐printing increased in significance for biotechnological research as new applications like lab‐on‐a‐chip systems, cell culture devices or 3D‐printed foods were uncovered. Besides mammalian cell culture, only few of those applications focus on the cultivation of microorganisms and none of these make use of the advantages of perfusion systems. One example for applying 3D‐printing for bioreactor development is the microbial utilization of alternative substrates derived from lignocellulose, where dilute carbon concentrations and harmful substances present a major challenge. Furthermore, quickly manufactured and affordable 3D‐printed bioreactors can accelerate early development phases through parallelization. In this work, a novel perfusion bioreactor system consisting of parts manufactured by fused filament fabrication (FFF) is presented and evaluated. Hydrophilic membranes are used for cell retention to allow the application of dilute substrates. Oxygen supply is provided by membrane diffusion via hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene membranes. An exemplary cultivation of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 supports the theoretical design by achieving competitive biomass concentrations of 18.4 g L−1 after 52 h. As a proof‐of‐concept for cultivation of microorganisms in perfusion mode, the described bioreactor system has application potential for bioconversion of multi‐component substrate‐streams in a lignocellulose‐based bioeconomy, for in‐situ product removal or design considerations of future applications for tissue cultures. Furthermore, this work provides a template‐based toolbox with instructions for creating reference systems in different application scenarios or tailor‐made bioreactor systems.

Revolutionizing Lab‐Scale Electrochemical Reactors: Innovative Breakthroughs With 3D Printing Fabrication

“…The bioreactor field has also benefited from 3D printing. For example, a novel perfusion bioreactor system based on membrane diffusion for aeration and flat hydrophilic membranes for cell retention has been developed using 3D printing as a manufacturing method [58] . Current distribution on the surface of the electrode is affected by the geometry of the electrode.…”

Cultivation of Bovine MSCs on Plant-Based Scaffolds in a macrofluidic Single-Use Bioreactor for Cultured Meat

“…Reliable and cost-effective methods to create tailor-made bioreactor systems are vital for advancing biotechnology, for proliferating cells in suspension and cultivating cells on scaffolds. In addition there is a great need for versatility and the ability to culture cells on unconventional scaffolds [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. This is the case for existing industries such as pharma but also for the emerging cultured meat industry [31,41].…”