Plant Cell-Based Bioprocessing

Abstract

Plant cell-based bioprocessing is the use of plant cell and tissue cultures for the production of biologically active substances (low molecular secondary metabolites and recombinant proteins). The most significant advantage of plant cell culture over the traditionally grown whole wild plant or engineered transgenic plant is the sterile production of metabolites under defined controlled conditions independent of climatic changes and soil conditions, which means that variations in product yield and quality can be better avoided. Furthermore, regulatory requirements such as the cGMP standards, which have to be adhered to in the early stages of pharmaceutical production, are more easily met.Moreover, plant cells are capable of performing complex posttranslational processing, which is a precondition for heterologous protein expression. When compared with mammalian cells, which currently dominate in the commercial protein manufacture, plant cell cultures as alternative expression systems guarantee safer processes because there is a lower risk of contamination by mammalian viruses, pathogens, and toxins. In addition to this considerable advantage, the process costs can also be substantially reduced. This is due to the fact that plant cell culture medium is very simple in composition and therefore relatively inexpensive.This chapter provides an overview of culture types, techniques, and suitable bioreactors used to produce secondary metabolites and recombinant proteins in plant cells. We describe plant cell culture basics, discuss key topics relevant to plant cell bioreactor engineering with application examples, and give an overview of approaches to improving productivity of plant cell-based processes.

Methyl jasmonate enhanced production of rosmarinic acid in cell cultures of Satureja khuzistanica in a bioreactor

“…BIOSTAT RM 20/50, a disposable wave bioreactor, has been successfully used for the culture of cell suspensions of several plant species, including V. vinifera , Malus domestica , Nicotiana tabacum , Taxus baccata , and Hordeum vulgare (Eibl et al. and references therein). Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations showed a more homogeneous energy dissipation and shear stress pattern in this bioreactor than in stirred reusable bioreactors , which is probably why wave‐mixed bioreactors may be superior for producing plant cell biomass.…”

Production of secondary metabolites using tissue culture-based biotechnological applications

“…Bioreactors show modifications, including the addition of mist spray, temporary immersion, having mesh or basket according to the cultivation process being performed for the organized plant structures such as hairy roots, somatic embryos, and micropropagation of plantlets ( Paek et al., 2005 ; Srivastava and Srivastava, 2012 ). Plant cell bioreactors are designed depending on operative capacity which could be mechanically, hydraulically, pneumatically driven, immobilized, or perfusion types ( Eibl and Eibl, 2009 ; Srikantan and Srivastava, 2018 ). Physical damage (wounding) and shear stress are the factors causing negative effects on the cultivations of hairy roots and callus in bioreactors, of which hairy roots are more sensitive compared to callus; therefore, the usages of low-shear impellers and external support (stainless steel plate or styrofoam mesh) are essential.…”

Food ingredients and food made with plant cell and tissue cultures: State‐of‐the art and future trends

“…Here it is important to work with a friable callus [54]. An efficient production process in the bioreactor requires a homogeneous, well‐growing and productive suspension culture, which sequentially requires a homogenization procedure [55] for the suspension culture, performed over several weeks. DDC‐based suspension cells have doubling times of between 0.6 and 5 days [52] and typically grow as aggregates [56].…”

“…For such applications, it is recommended to equip the bioreactor with impellers close to bioreactor wall [73]. Typically, the vessel of a stirred production bioreactor for plant suspension cultures has a height‐to‐diameter ratio of 2:1 or 3:1, is equipped with one or more Rushton, marine or pitched blade impellers or combinations thereof, baffles and a dynamic seal [55]. Another critical point is foam formation due to polysaccharides or media ingredients secreted during cell growth [74].…”