The authors would like to thank the Bundesministerium f&#252;r Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany, and the BioProcessing team of Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH, Germany, for their support.

1. Preculture Procedure
NOTE: Recombinant CHO DG44 cells with a viable cell concentration of 1 x 107 cells/mL are used for this protocol.
<ol>
	<li>Thaw the vial containing 1.2 mL of cells to room temperature and immediately transfer the cell suspension to a 15 mL conical centrifuge tube containing 10 mL of cold seed medium.</li>
	<li>Centrifuge the conical centrifuge tube for 5 minutes at 190 x g and room temperature and discard the supernatant.</li>
	<li>Pre-heat 150 mL of the seed medium in a 500 mL shake flask to 36.8 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Gently resuspend the cell pellet in 10 mL of pre-warmed seed medium and transfer the cells into the shake flask.</li>
	<li>Use 1 mL of the sample from the flask to measure the initial VCC and viability using a cell counter. 
	NOTE: The viability should be above 70% after thawing for successful cultivation.</li>
	<li>Incubate the shake flask in an orbital shaker (shaker diameter of 19 mm) at 36.8 &#176;C and 7.5% CO2 with a shaking rate of 120 rpm. 
	NOTE: These conditions vary depending on the cell strain and medium.</li>
	<li>Three days after passaging the cells, remove the shake flask from the shaker and place it under the laminar flow cabinet. Take 1 mL of sample to measure the final cell concentration. Calculate the volume to be transferred to fresh pre-warmed seed medium such that the initial cell concentration in the new passage is 2 x 105 cells/mL.</li>
	<li>Passage the cells 5 times in total before transferring to the bioreactor for the main cultivation.</li>
</ol>
2. Main Cultivation
<ol>
	<li>Measure the final cell concentration of the preculture. Calculate the volume to be transferred to the bioreactor such that the initial cell concentration in the reactor is 3 x 105 cells/mL.</li>
	<li>Fill the reactor with production medium a day before the inoculation to equilibrate the reactor and set the process parameters such as temperature, pH and DO. 
	NOTE: The cultivation conditions are 36.8 &#176;C and 60% dissolved oxygen concentration (DO). We tested stirrer speeds of 1050 rpm and 1300 rpm along with pHs of 6.9, 7.1, and 7.3. The total duration of the cultivation is 12 days until the cells are harvested. The batch process runs for 72 hours after which the feed medium is added every 24 h. The protocol to be used for the cultivation is listed in detail in the next segment.</li>
</ol>
3. Writing the Recipe in the Automated Micro-bioreactor Software
NOTE: There are two ways of writing a recipe in the AMBR cell culture software: it is created either by using a wizard or by adding each step manually. For the purpose of this protocol, steps using the wizard are shown.
<ol>
	<li>Creating a new experiment
	<ol>
		<li>Open the AMBR cell culture software and in the Introduction tab click on Create New Experiment.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Loading the recipe
	<ol>
		<li>In the New Experiment tab, enter the name of the experiment along with the date on which it is to be conducted.
		<ol>
			<li>Activate the check point for the culture station and the vessels to be used during the cultivation. The Auto Add DOE Tags will also be activated for an easy transition during the programming of the DOE experiment. Click on Next to switch to the next tab.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Set information about addition of media into the vessel along with antifoam, inoculum, feed and glucose.
		<ol>
			<li>Activate the Add Media Plate check point. Define the Plate type, name and location of the plate containing the medium. 
			CAUTION: Depending on the type of plate and if the plate contains a lid, activate the check on Is Lidded to ensure smooth functioning of the liquid handler</li>
			<li>Click on Add Media To Vessels. Enter the volume of the media to be added into the vessels. Define the mapping of the transfer of the media from the plate to the vessels. Click on Next to switch to the next tab.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Set the cultivation conditions in the reactor.
		<ol>
			<li>After the media information has been fed into the software, assign the cultivation conditions. Click on Condition Media and fill in the temperature, target DO, upper pH limit and stirring RPM (Up stirring or Down stirring).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Set addition of inoculums into the vessels.
		<ol>
			<li>Activate Add Cell Plate. Define the plate type, name and location of the plate containing the medium.</li>
			<li>Click on Add Cells To Vessels. Enter the time of inoculation and the volume of the media to be added to the vessels.</li>
			<li>Define the path travelled by the liquid handler to the transfer of the cell from the plate to the vessels. Click on Next to switch to the next tab. 
			NOTE: Ensure Reuse Pipette Tips is deactivated to avoid cross-contamination and incorrect initial viable cell concentration.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Set addition of feed, glucose and antifoam. 
		NOTE: The procedure for addition of feed, glucose and antifoam is similar to each other. For the sake of this protocol the procedure is listed for &#8220;Feed&#8221;. This can be replicated for glucose and antifoam.
		<ol>
			<li>Activate the Add Feed Plate and define the plate type, name and location. Click on Add Feed To Vessels and enter the volume of the feed to be added to the vessels. Define the mapping of the transfer of the feed from the plate to the vessels.</li>
			<li>Depending on the cultivation, add the number of feed addition. For this cultivation, the reactor is fed after 72 hours for every 24 hours.</li>
			<li>Manually add the time delay between the feeding by entering the data into Delay from cells added. The first day of feeding is after 72 hours of inoculation and the next one is after 96 hours and so on. 
			NOTE: Antifoam addition is programmed to be added every day to avoid foaming during the cultivation.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Set sampling during the cultivation.
		<ol>
			<li>Activate the Add Sample Plate and define the plate type, name and location.</li>
			<li>Check on Take Sample from Vessels and enter the volume of the sample to be removed from the vessels. Define the mapping of the transfer of the sample from the vessels to the plate. Ensure that the volume does not decrease below 10 mL during the entire course of cultivation.</li>
			<li>Add the number of samples to be taken during the cultivation. Similar to feeding, add the time of the sample being removed from the vessel for each input sample point.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Save the process. It is now ready for execution. 
		NOTE: To ensure the smooth running of the protocol, switch to the Process Steps tab in the AMBR cell culture software and select Process Step view to visualize the flow of the recipe.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Design of experiment in the automated micro bioreactor
	<ol>
		<li>In order to run the DOE software of the bioreactor, ensure that the recipe in the main software is saved and ready to use.</li>
		<li>Open the AMBR 15 DOE software and click on Investigation and select New.
		<ol>
			<li>Enter the name of the new DOE investigation in the Create Investigation dialog box.</li>
			<li>In order to assign an experiment to the DOE investigation, open the recipe created to study the different parameters. Click on Browse and select the respective experiment.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Define the DOE factor.
		<ol>
			<li>The vessel tags are already enlisted in the column. To define the desired DOE factor, select the parameter and click on the column labeled DOE factor. Select New and add the units, abbreviation, lower and upper limit of the factors (e.g., temperature, DO, pH).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Define the response factor.
		<ol>
			<li>Once the DOE factors have been defined, define the response based on which the experimental analysis would be structured.</li>
			<li>In the Responses tab, define the values to be considered for the analysis of the data.</li>
			<li>Click on Edit DOE Responses and define the name of the response, abbreviation, units, minimum and maximum limits (e.g., titer, viable cell concentration).</li>
			<li>Once the responses are defined, select the AMBR variable for each response and define the variable. A response can be automatically associated with a micro-bioreactor variable, Choose the required variable from the drop-down list.</li>
			<li>Change the equation for each of the response depending on the requirement. The choice is between the minimum, maximum, first, last and average data.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Create a design.
		<ol>
			<li>Use the Start Design Wizard in order to select the type of experimental design, to add or remove the number of replicates and center points.</li>
			<li>Select the objective, which determines the choice of designs and models: 
			Screening: Uses linear and interaction models to find the important factors 
			Optimization (RSM), Uses quadratic and cubic models for detailed modeling and optimization 
			Split objective: Models for formulation and process factors can be chosen separately</li>
			<li>Once the objective is decided upon, select the model and the design along with the number of center points and replicates.</li>
			<li>Click on Finish and switch to the next tab.</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Define the experiment. 
		NOTE: The DOE factors are listed in the right column of the software. On selecting the desired factors, the vessels running that experiment with the desired parameter would be highlighted. The vessels within the culture station can be moved around by right clicking on the vessel and moving it to the desired location.
		<ol>
			<li>Create work packets that can be imported in the AMBR cell culture software. Depending on the number of experiments the different work packets are created and stored for further implementation</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Execution of the experiment in the work packets created on the AMBR control laptop
	<ol>
		<li>In the Experiment tab, click on Create DOE Experiment and browse for the work packet created using the DOE software.</li>
		<li>Initialize the process by clicking Start.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Analysis of experimental results
	<ol>
		<li>Once the experiment has been executed, export the data using Export DOE Results. The Export DOE Results window opens and the rows indicating the culture vessel and station are listed in the table.</li>
		<li>Select the desired rows and click on Exported Selected Rows or Export Experimental data to store all the results and save the file for further analysis.</li>
		<li>Import the data into the AMBR DOE module by switching to the Results tab and selecting Import Results.</li>
		<li>Browse for the desired data file and click the Analysis Results.</li>
		<li>Analyze the results further in MODDE.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
4. Execution of Cultivation in the Automated Micro-bioreactor
NOTE: The following steps are executed by the user with the help of the protocol written in the aforementioned software. The steps are carried out by the user unless mentioned otherwise.
<ol>
	<li>Loading the vessels
	<ol>
		<li>Open the gamma sterilized culture vessels under a laminar flow cabinet and orient in the culture station as depicted in Figure 2.</li>
		<li>Clean the clamp plate with 70% ethanol and double distilled water. Then, autoclave the plate and place on top of the vessel.</li>
		<li>Mount the clamp plate with a stirrer plate, ensuring each pin is fixed firmly.</li>
		<li>Tighten both the stirrer plate and clamp plate onto the stirring assembly.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Running the micro-bioreactor software
	<ol>
		<li>Use the program written in Section 3 to run the cultivation.</li>
		<li>Visualize the process steps scheduled or completed in the Process tab. Alter the cultivation steps during the process run as needed by first pausing the liquid handler and then editing the process recipe.</li>
		<li>Add antifoam to the vessels before the stirrer is started to ensure there is no excessive foaming during the cultivation. The antifoam will be added regularly, and the foam detected visually.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Addition of media into the vessel
	<ol>
		<li>Fill the 24 well plate provided with the micro-bioreactors manually with sterile media and place in the designated deck of the system. Ensure the plate is placed in the deck designated by the written program (section 3). The filling of the vessel will take place as designed in section 3.2.2. 
		NOTE: The temperature and stirrer start immediately after the addition of the media and the antifoam. The sensor reader is activated 1 hour after the vessel is filled (Start Monitor step). Gassing to each vessel commences once the reader has been activated. Media is left to equilibrate for a minimum of 6 hours before pH recalibration and inoculation. The process parameters can be altered in the software as mentioned in section 3.2.3.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Inoculation
	<ol>
		<li>Measure the viable cell concentration after the 5th passage. Calculate the number of cells to be transferred to the vessels to ensure that the initial cell concentration in all the vessels is 3 x 105 cells/mL.</li>
		<li>Transfer the cells to a 24 deep well plate such that the volume of the suspension is at least 1.6 times the required volume. For a required volume of 2 mL of the inoculum, transfer 3.2 mL of cell suspension into each well in the plate.</li>
		<li>Place the 24 well plate in the designated deck. The vessels will be inoculated as in section 3.2.4.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Daily sampling and analytics
	<ol>
		<li>Remove a 460 &#956;L sample from the vessels every day using the liquid handler. Dilute 200 &#181;L of the sample with 800 &#181;L of filtered 1x PBS buffer (5x dilution), and then place in the cell counter.</li>
		<li>Centrifuge the remaining sample for 5 min at 190 x g and room temperature and store the supernatant for further analysis (glucose, lactate, glutamine and glutamate).</li>
		<li>Freeze 100 &#181;L of the supernatant at -20 &#176;C until the end of the cultivation for protein quantification.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>End of cultivation
	<ol>
		<li>When the process parameter control (i.e., temperature, agitation, pH and DO) has terminated, stop the monitoring of the process.</li>
		<li>Unscrew the stirrer plate and clamp plate.</li>
		<li>Remove the culture vessels and clean the culture stations. Place the drying plates on the culture stations and screw them in.</li>
		<li>Meanwhile, clean the clamp plates thoroughly with 70% ethanol and double distilled water.</li>
		<li>Click on Stop in the bioreactor software once the drying cycle is completed.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Cell culture harvest
	<ol>
		<li>Harvest cells on Day 12 of the cultivation by manually removing the content of the vessels into 50 mL centrifuge tubes. Centrifuge the cell broth at 190 x g for 30 min.</li>
		<li>Discard the cell pellet and store the supernatant at -20 &#176;C.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>
5. Measuring mAb Concentration
<ol>
	<li>Use a 1.7 mL Protein A column for the quantification of the protein during the cultivation run.</li>
	<li>Prepare the equilibration and elution buffer before thawing the samples.
	<ol>
		<li>Use a solution of 0.5 M Na2HPO4 containing 0.5 M NaCl with a pH of 7.9 as the equilibration buffer and a solution of 100 mM glycine containing 0.5 M NaCl with a pH of 2 as the elution buffer.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Filter both buffers through a 0.2 &#181;m membrane and degas before being placed for the analysis.</li>
	<li>Purge the high-performance liquid chromatography system (HPLC) with freshly prepared equilibration buffer.</li>
	<li>Load the protein A column on to the HPLC system.</li>
	<li>Carry out chromatography with a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Set the column oven temperature at 30 &#176;C and autosampler temperature at 10 &#176;C</li>
	<li>Thaw the frozen samples at room temperature and filter 225 &#181;L of each sample through a 0.22 &#181;m PVDF membrane. Dilute the samples with higher concentration of the desired protein are in a 1:20 ratio with equilibration buffer and filter through the membrane before placing in the autosampler.</li>
	<li>Place the samples in the autosampler. Load the method and sequence in the software and start the sequence. 
	NOTE: The method is comprised of three phases (see Figure 1): injection of the sample into the column for the first two minutes; followed by elution buffer for 8 min and column regeneration with equilibration buffer for 10 min.</li>
</ol>
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/60577/60577fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Protein A chromatogram, representing the different phases during a single run. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/60577/60577fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Optimization of the process to increase the yield is of crucial importance in the biopharmaceutical industry. Shake flasks could potentially be used for the screening of the strain; however, the monitoring of the process parameters such as pH and DO are unavailable in the flasks. The micro-bioreactors have an advantage as they allow continuous monitoring and control of the process. These control loops in the micro-bioreactor also provide a condition similar to those at larger scale and thus, deliver results that are comp...

The global biopharmaceutical market was worth more than US $250 billion in 2018 and has been continuously expanding1. Pharmaceutical companies are moving away from producing small molecular drugs to biotechnologically produced therapeutics such as recombinant proteins. These alone are responsible for a revenue of more than $150 billion1. Mammalian cells are now extensively used for the production of these pharmaceutical recombinant proteins. In the current period, among the 68 approved products produced by mammalian cells, 57 are produced by Chinese Hamster ovary cells (CHO)2. CHO cells are specifically used for the production of recombinant proteins that require post-translational modifications. These cells are preferred as they grow in a suspension and thereby enable reproducible results in a serum free chemically defined medium3,4. The other advantage of using CHO cells is that the glycan structure of the product resembles that of the human monoclonal antibody (mAb) and results in higher recombinant protein yield and specific productivity due to gene amplification5.
The yield of recombinant CHO (rCHO) cell culture has increased by a hundred-fold in the past two decades. This improvement is attributed to the optimization of the process parameters, feeding strategy and development of serum free chemically defined medium6. With the increase in requirements of the pharmaceutical products, the pressure increases on cost and time efficiency for the development of the production process7. To reduce the pressure while assuring product quality has redirected the focus of the pharmaceutical industry on Quality by Design (QbD). QbD is used to understand the product production as well as the process. A vital tool used in the ObD is the Design of Experiment (DOE). It helps increase understanding of the process by revealing the relationship between various input variables and resulting output data. Applying the DOE approach to optimize the bioprocess is beneficial during the early stages of the project in assimilating the process conditions and increasing the titer quantity and quality. This approach is beneficial when compared to the old-fashioned strategy: one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT). The statistical approaches to DOE using Classical, Shainin or Taguchi are far superior to the OFAT8.
The process and media optimization can be performed in shake flasks. The flasks are relatively inexpensive. However, it is not possible to control parameters such as temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO). To overcome these drawbacks, multiuse bench-top bioreactors ranging from working volume of 0.5 L to 5 L can be used. The reactors provide an extensive on-line monitoring and process control. However, the use of the multiuse bioreactor is time and labor intensive. In order to overcome these disadvantages, a novel single-use bioreactor that combines the comprehensive process of monitoring the bench-top bioreactor and easy handling of the shake flask is used. The high throughput screening system and single-use technology have contributed to enhance the efficiency of process performance and development9.
In this article, the guidelines to load the recipe in the automated micro-bioreactor (AMBR) software are listed. The influence of different stirrer speeds and pH on the viable cell concentration (VCC) and titer is studied during the course of this experiment. The experimental result and analysis are carried out with design of experiment software MODDE 12. The product analytics are carried out in a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) system with a Protein A column. It is based on the principle that the Fc region of the mAb binds to protein A with high affinity10,11. With this method, it is possible to identify and quantify the mAb. The quantification is carried out over the measured elution peak areas at 280 nm.

<table><tbody><tr><td>1 mL disposable pipette tips, sterilized</td><td>Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH</td><td>A-0040</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>200 mM L-glutamine</td><td>Corning, Merck</td><td>25-005-CV</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>24 Well deep well plates</td><td>Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH</td><td>A-0038</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5 mL disposable pipette tips, sterilized</td><td>Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH</td><td>A-0039</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ambr 15 automated microbioreactor system</td><td>Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH</td><td>001-2804</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>ambr 15 Cell Culture 24 Disposable Bioreactors - Sparged</td><td>Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH</td><td>001-1B86</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Antifoam C Emulsion</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich, Merck</td><td>A8011</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bottle Top Sterile filter</td><td>Corning, Merck</td><td>CLS431474</td><td>0.1 &amp;mu;m pore size</td></tr><tr><td>CEDEX Detergent (3% Mucosol)</td><td>Roche Innovatis AG</td><td>05-650-658-001</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cell counter</td><td>Roche Innovatis AG</td><td>05-650-216-001</td><td>CEDEX HiRes</td></tr><tr><td>CHO DG44 cell line</td><td>Cellca, Sartorius Stedim Biotech GmbH</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CHOKO Feed Media A (FMA)</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich, Merck</td><td>CR80025</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CHOKO Feed Media B (FMB)</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich, Merck</td><td>CR80026</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CHOKO Production Medium</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich, Merck</td><td>CR80027</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>CHOKO Stock Culture Meium</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich, Merck</td><td>CR80028</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Chromaster high pressure liquid chromatography system</td><td>VWR International</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Conical Centrifuge tube</td><td>Corning, Merck</td><td>SIAL0790</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ethanol</td><td>Merck</td><td>1070179026</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Glycine</td><td>Carl Roth</td><td>56-40-6</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>HPLC Vials</td><td>VWR International</td><td>SUPLSU860181</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>PBS</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich,Merck</td><td>P4417</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Protein A Column</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific</td><td>1502226</td><td>POROS&amp;trade; A 1.7&amp;nbsp;mL</td></tr><tr><td>Sodium chloride</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich,Merck</td><td>7647-14-5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich,Merck</td><td>7558-79-4</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Trypan Blue</td><td>VWR International</td><td>VWRVK940</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>YSI</td><td>YSI Inc</td><td>2900D</td><td>YSI 2900 Select</td></tr></tbody></table>

process optimization using high throughput automated micro-bioreactors in chinese hamster ovary cell cultivation

Optimization of bioprocesses to increase the yield of desired products is of importance in the biopharmaceutical industry. This can be achieved by strain selection and by developing bioprocess parameters. Shake flasks have been used for this purpose. They, however, lack the capability to control the process parameters such as pH and dissolved oxygen (DO). This limitation can be overcome with the help of an automated micro-bioreactor. These bioreactors mimic cultivation at a larger scale. One of the major advantages of this system is the integration of the Design of Experiment (DOE) in the software. This integration enables establishing a design where multiple process parameters can be varied simultaneously. The critical process parameters and optimum bioprocess conditions can be analyzed within the software. The focus of the work presented here is to introduce the user to the steps involved in process design in the software and incorporation of the DOE within the cultivation run.

An overview of the cultivation performed in this study is presented in Figure 2.
<img alt="Figure 2" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/60577/60577fig02.jpg" /> 
Figure 2: Schematic representation of the experimental conditions to test pH and stirrer speed profiles in the culture stations.&#160;The figure also represents the correct layout to place the vessels. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_uploa...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Process Optimization using High Throughput Automated Micro-Bioreactors in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Cultivation at JoVE.com

Process Optimization using High Throughput Automated Micro-Bioreactors in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Cultivation

Here, we present a detailed procedure to run a Design of Experiment in an automated micro-bioreactor followed by cell harvest and protein quantification using a Protein A column.

Optimization of bioprocesses to increase the yield of desired products is of importance in the biopharmaceutical industry. This can be achieved by strain ...

process-optimization-using-high-throughput-automated-micro

Research

JoVE Journal

Bioengineering

8.4K Views.  Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz Universität Hannover. Here, we present a detailed procedure to run a Design of Experiment in an automated micro-bioreactor followed by cell harvest and protein quantification using a Protein A column.

Video: Process Optimization using High Throughput Automated Micro-Bioreactors in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Cultivation

Developing Custom Chinese Hamster Ovary-host Cell Protein Assays using Acoustic Membrane Microparticle Technology

Custom assays for unique proteins are often limited to time consuming manual detection and quantitation techniques such as ELISA or Western blots due to the complexity of development on alternate platforms. BioScale's proprietary Acoustic Membrane MicroParticle (AMMP) technology allows sandwich immunoassays to be easily developed for use on the ViBE platform, providing better sensitivity, reproducibility, and automated operation. Provided as an example, this protocol outlines the procedure for developing a custom Chinese Hamster Ovary- Host Cell Protein (CHO-HCP) assay. The general principles outlined here can be followed for the development of a wide variety of immunoassays.
An AMMP assay measures antigen concentration by measuring changes in oscillation frequency caused by the binding of microparticles to the sensor surface to calculate. It consists of four major components: (1) a cartridge that contains a functionalized eight sensor chip (2) antibody labeled magnetic microparticles, (3) hapten tagged antibody that binds to the surface of the functionalized chip (4) samples containing the antigen of interest. BioScale's biosensor is a resonant device that contains eight individual membranes with separate fluidic paths. The membranes change oscillation frequency in response to mass accumulating on the surface and this frequency change is used to quantitate the amount of added mass.
To facilitate use in a wide variety of immunoassays the sensor is functionalized with an anti-hapten antibody. Assay specific antibodies are modified through the covalent conjugation of a hapten tag to one antibody and biotin to the other. The biotin label is used to bind the antibody to streptavidin coupled magnetic beads which, in combination with the hapten-tagged antibody, are used to capture the analyte in a sandwich. The complex binds to the chip through the anti-hapten/hapten interaction. At the end of each assay run the sensors are cleaned with a dilute acid enabling the sequential analysis of columns from a 96-well plate.
Here, we present the method for developing a custom CHO-HCP AMMP assay for bioprocess development. Developing AMMP assays or modifying existing assays into AMMP assays can provide better performance (reproducibility, sensitivity) in complex samples and reduced operator time. The protocol shows the steps for development and the discussion section reviews representative results. For a more in-depth explanation of assay optimization and customization parameters contact BioScale. This kit offers generic bioprocess development assays such as Residual Protein A, Product titer, and CHO-HCP.

Development of custom assays on the ViBE platform for more sensitive, reproducible, automated results in complex matrices is described. The universal cartridge allows assays to be easily adapted for use with custom assays. This versatility enables rapid development and validation of novel assays or automated versions of existing manual assays, exemplified in this video.

Custom assays for unique proteins are often limited to time consuming manual detection and quantitation techniques such as ELISA or Western blots due to ...

A High-throughput Automated Platform for the Development of Manufacturing Cell Lines for Protein Therapeutics

The fast-growing biopharmaceutical industry demands speedy development of highly efficient and reliable production systems to meet the increasing requirement for drug supplies. The generation of production cell lines has traditionally involved manual operations that are labor-intensive, low-throughput and vulnerable to human errors. We report here an integrated high-throughput and automated platform for development of manufacturing cell lines for the production of protein therapeutics.
The combination of BD FACS Aria Cell Sorter, CloneSelect Imager and TECAN Freedom EVO liquid handling system has enabled a high-throughput and more efficient cell line development process. In this operation, production host cells are first transfected with an expression vector carrying the gene of interest 1, followed by the treatment with a selection agent. The stably-transfected cells are then stained with fluorescence-labeled anti-human IgG antibody, and are subsequently subject to flow cytometry analysis 2-4. Highly productive cells are selected based on fluorescence intensity and are isolated by single-cell sorting on a BD FACSAria. Colony formation from single-cell stage was detected microscopically and a series of time-laps digital images are taken by CloneSelect Imager for the documentation of cell line history. After single clones have formed, these clones were screened for productivity by ELISA performed on a TECAN Freedom EVO liquid handling system. Approximately 2,000 - 10,000 clones can be screened per operation cycle with the current system setup.
This integrated approach has been used to generate high producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines for the production of therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) as well as their fusion proteins. With the aid of different types of detecting probes, the method can be used for developing other protein therapeutics or be applied to other production host systems. Comparing to the traditional manual procedure, this automated platform demonstrated advantages of significantly increased capacity, ensured clonality, traceability in cell line history with electronic documentation and much reduced opportunity in operator error.

A high-throughput, automated platform of manufacturing cell line development for producing protein therapeutics is described. Implementation of BD FACS Aria Cell Sorter, CloneSelect Imager and TECAN Freedom EVO liquid handling system has demonstrated significantly increased processing capacity in cell line development with improved cell line quality and high reproducibility.

The fast-growing biopharmaceutical industry demands speedy development of highly efficient and reliable production systems to meet the increasing ...

Medicine

A Versatile Automated Platform for Micro-scale Cell Stimulation Experiments

Study of cells in culture (in vitro analysis) has provided important insight into complex biological systems. Conventional methods and equipment for in vitro analysis are well suited to study of large numbers of cells (&ge;105) in milliliter-scale volumes (&ge;0.1 ml). However, there are many instances in which it is necessary or desirable to scale down culture size to reduce consumption of the cells of interest and/or reagents required for their culture, stimulation, or processing. Unfortunately, conventional approaches do not support precise and reproducible manipulation of micro-scale cultures, and the microfluidics-based automated systems currently available are too complex and specialized for routine use by most laboratories. To address this problem, we have developed a simple and versatile technology platform for automated culture, stimulation, and recovery of small populations of cells (100 - 2,000 cells) in micro-scale volumes (1 - 20 &mu;l). The platform consists of a set of fibronectin-coated microcapillaries ("cell perfusion chambers"), within which micro-scale cultures are established, maintained, and stimulated; a digital microfluidics (DMF) device outfitted with "transfer" microcapillaries ("central hub"), which routes cells and reagents to and from the perfusion chambers; a high-precision syringe pump, which powers transport of materials between the perfusion chambers and the central hub; and an electronic interface that provides control over transport of materials, which is coordinated and automated via pre-determined scripts. As an example, we used the platform to facilitate study of transcriptional responses elicited in immune cells upon challenge with bacteria. Use of the platform enabled us to reduce consumption of cells and reagents, minimize experiment-to-experiment variability, and re-direct hands-on labor. Given the advantages that it confers, as well as its accessibility and versatility, our platform should find use in a wide variety of laboratories and applications, and prove especially useful in facilitating analysis of cells and stimuli that are available in only limited quantities.

We have developed an automated cell culture and interrogation platform for micro-scale cell stimulation experiments. The platform offers simple, versatile, and precise control in cultivating and stimulating small populations of cells, and recovering lysates for molecular analyses. The platform is well suited to studies that use precious cells and/or reagents.

Study of cells in culture (in vitro analysis) has provided important insight into complex biological systems. Conventional methods and equipment for in ...

Cultivation of Mammalian Cells Using a Single-use Pneumatic Bioreactor System

Recent advances in mammalian, insect, and stem cell cultivation and scale-up have created tremendous opportunities for new therapeutics and personalized medicine innovations. However, translating these advances into therapeutic applications will require in vitro systems that allow for robust, flexible, and cost effective bioreactor systems. There are several bioreactor systems currently utilized in research and commercial settings; however, many of these systems are not optimal for establishing, expanding, and monitoring the growth of different cell types. The culture parameters most challenging to control in these systems include, minimizing hydrodynamic shear, preventing nutrient gradient formation, establishing uniform culture medium aeration, preventing microbial contamination, and monitoring and adjusting culture conditions in real-time. Using a pneumatic single-use bioreactor system, we demonstrate the assembly and operation of this novel bioreactor for mammalian cells grown on micro-carriers. This bioreactor system eliminates many of the challenges associated with currently available systems by minimizing hydrodynamic shear and nutrient gradient formation, and allowing for uniform culture medium aeration. Moreover, the bioreactor&#8217;s software allows for remote real-time monitoring and adjusting of the bioreactor run parameters. This bioreactor system also has tremendous potential for scale-up of adherent and suspension mammalian cells for production of a variety therapeutic proteins, monoclonal antibodies, stem cells, biosimilars, and vaccines.

Using a pneumatic bioreactor, we demonstrate the assembly, operation, and performance of this single-use bioreactor system for the growth of mammalian cells.

Recent advances in mammalian, insect, and stem cell cultivation and scale-up have created tremendous opportunities for new therapeutics and personalized ...

Design and Implementation of an Automated Illuminating, Culturing, and Sampling System for Microbial Optogenetic Applications

Optogenetic systems utilize genetically-encoded proteins that change conformation in response to specific wavelengths of light to alter cellular processes. There is a need for culturing and measuring systems that incorporate programmed illumination and stimulation of optogenetic systems. We present a protocol for building and using a continuous culturing apparatus to illuminate microbial cells with programmed doses of light, and automatically acquire and analyze images of cells in the effluent. The operation of this apparatus as a chemostat allows the growth rate and the cellular environment to be tightly controlled. The effluent of the continuous cell culture is regularly sampled and the cells are imaged by multi-channel microscopy. The culturing, sampling, imaging, and image analysis are fully automated so that dynamic responses in the fluorescence intensity and cellular morphology of cells sampled from the culture effluent are measured over multiple days without user input. We demonstrate the utility of this culturing apparatus by dynamically inducing protein production in a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae engineered with an optogenetic system that activates transcription.

We designed a continuous culturing apparatus for use with optogenetic systems to illuminate cultures of microbes and regularly image cells in the effluent with an inverted microscope. The culturing, sampling, imaging, and image analysis are fully automated so that dynamic responses to illumination can be measured over several days.

Optogenetic systems utilize genetically-encoded proteins that change conformation in response to specific wavelengths of light to alter cellular ...

Generic Protocol for Optimization of Heterologous Protein Production Using Automated Microbioreactor Technology

A core business in industrial biotechnology using microbial production cell factories is the iterative process of strain engineering and optimization of bioprocess conditions. One important aspect is the improvement of cultivation medium to provide an optimal environment for microbial formation of the product of interest. It is well accepted that the media composition can dramatically influence overall bioprocess performance. Nutrition medium optimization is known to improve recombinant protein production with microbial systems and thus, this is a rewarding step in bioprocess development. However, very often standard media recipes are taken from literature, since tailor-made design of the cultivation medium is a tedious task that demands microbioreactor technology for sufficient cultivation throughput, fast product analytics, as well as support by lab robotics to enable reliability in liquid handling steps. Furthermore, advanced mathematical methods are required for rationally analyzing measurement data and efficiently designing parallel experiments such as to achieve optimal information content.
The generic nature of the presented protocol allows for easy adaption to different lab equipment, other expression hosts, and target proteins of interest, as well as further bioprocess parameters. Moreover, other optimization objectives like protein production rate, specific yield, or product quality can be chosen to fit the scope of other optimization studies. The applied Kriging Toolbox (KriKit) is a general tool for Design of Experiments (DOE) that contributes to improved holistic bioprocess optimization. It also supports multi-objective optimization which can be important in optimizing both upstream and downstream processes.

This manuscript describes a generic approach for tailor-made design of microbial cultivation media. This is enabled by an iterative workflow combining Kriging-based experimental design and microbioreactor technology for sufficient cultivation throughput, which is supported by lab robotics to increase reliability and speed in liquid handling media preparation.

A core business in industrial biotechnology using microbial production cell factories is the iterative process of strain engineering and optimization of ...

Use of High-Throughput Automated Microbioreactor System for Production of Model IgG1 in CHO Cells

Automated microscale bioreactors (15 mL) can be a useful tool for cell culture engineers. They facilitate the simultaneous execution of a wide variety of experimental conditions while minimizing potential process variability. Applications of this approach include: clone screening, temperature and pH shifts,&#160;media and supplement optimization. Furthermore, the small reactor volumes are conducive to large Design of Experiments that investigate a wide range of conditions. This allows upstream processes to be significantly optimized before scale-up where experimentation is more limited in scope due to time and economic constraints. Automated microscale bioreactor systems offer various advantages over traditional small scale cell culture units, such as shake flasks or spinner flasks. However, during pilot scale process development&#160;significant care must be taken to ensure that these advantages are realized. When run with care, the system can enable high level automation, can be programmed to run DOE&#39;s with a higher number of variables&#160;and can reduce sampling time when integrated with a nutrient analyzer or cell counter. Integration of the expert-derived heuristics presented here, with current automated microscale bioreactor experiments can minimize common pitfalls that hinder meaningful results. In the extreme, failure to adhere to the principles laid out here can lead to equipment damage that requires expensive repairs. Furthermore, the microbioreactor systems have small culture volumes&#160;making characterization of cell culture conditions difficult. The number and amount of samples taken in-process in batch mode culture is limited as operating volumes cannot fall below 10 mL. This method will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of microscale bioreactor systems.

A detailed protocol for the concurrent operation of 48 parallel cell cultures under varied conditions in a microbioreactor system is presented. Cell culture process, harvest and subsequent antibody titer analysis are described.

Automated microscale bioreactors (15 mL) can be a useful tool for cell culture engineers. They facilitate the simultaneous execution of a wide variety of ...

Purification and Analytics of a Monoclonal Antibody from Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Using an Automated Microbioreactor System

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most popular and well-characterized biological products manufactured today. Most commonly produced using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, culture and process conditions must be optimized to maximize antibody titers and achieve target quality profiles. Typically, this optimization uses automated microscale bioreactors (15 mL) to screen multiple process conditions in parallel. Optimization criteria include culture performance and the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) product, which may impact its efficacy and safety. Culture performance metrics include cell growth and nutrient consumption, while the CQAs include the mAb's N-glycosylation and aggregation profiles, charge variants, and molecular weight. This detailed protocol describes how to purify and subsequently analyze HCCF samples produced by an automated microbioreactor system to gain valuable performance metrics and outputs. First, an automated protein A fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) method is used to purify the mAb from harvested cell culture samples. Once concentrated, the glycan profiles are analyzed by mass spectrometry using a specific platform (refer to the Table of Materials). Antibody molecular weights and aggregation profiles are determined using size exclusion chromatography-multiple angle light scattering (SEC-MALS), while charge variants are analyzed using microchip capillary zone electrophoresis (mCZE). In addition to the culture performance metrics captured during the bioreactor process (i.e., culture viability, cell counts, and common metabolites including glutamine, glucose, lactate, and ammonia), spent media is analyzed to identify limiting nutrients to improve the feeding strategies and overall process design. Therefore, a detailed protocol for the absolute quantification of amino acids by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) of spent media is also described. The methods used in this protocol take advantage of high-throughput platforms that are compatible for large numbers of small-volume samples.

A detailed protocol for the purification and subsequent analysis of a monoclonal antibody from harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF) of automated microbioreactors has been described. Use of analytics to determine critical quality attributes (CQAs) and maximizing limited sample volume to extract vital information is also presented.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are one of the most popular and well-characterized biological products manufactured today. Most commonly produced using ...

Rapid Antibody Glycoengineering in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

Recombinant monoclonal antibodies bind specific molecular targets and, subsequently, induce an immune response or inhibit the binding of other ligands. However, monoclonal antibody functionality and half-life may be reduced by the type and distribution of host-specific glycosylation. Attempts to produce superior antibodies have inspired the development of genetically modified producer cells that synthesize glyco-optimized antibodies. Glycoengineering typically requires the generation of a stable knockout or knockin cell line using methods such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9. Monoclonal antibodies produced by engineered cells are then characterized using mass spectrometric methods to determine if the desired glycoprofile has been obtained. This strategy is time-consuming, technically challenging, and requires specialists. Therefore, an alternative strategy that utilizes streamlined protocols for genetic glycoengineering and glycan detection may assist endeavors toward optimal antibodies. In this proof-of-concept study, an IgG-producing Chinese hamster ovary cell served as an ideal host to optimize glycoengineering. Short interfering RNA targeting the Fut8 gene was delivered to Chinese hamster ovary cells, and the resulting changes in FUT8 protein expression were quantified. The results indicate that knockdown by this method was efficient, leading to a ~60% reduction in FUT8. Complementary analysis of the antibody glycoprofile was performed using a rapid yet highly sensitive technique: capillary gel electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection. All knockdown experiments showed an increase in afucosylated glycans; however, the greatest shift achieved in this study was ~20%. This protocol simplifies glycoengineering efforts by harnessing in silico design tools, commercially synthesized gene targeting reagents, and rapid quantification assays that do not require extensive prior experience. As such, the time efficiencies offered by this protocol may assist investigations into new gene targets.

The glycosylation pattern of an antibody determines its clinical performance, thus industrial and academic efforts to control glycosylation persist. Since typical glycoengineering campaigns are time- and labor-intensive, the generation of a rapid protocol to characterize the impact of glycosylation genes using transient silencing would prove useful.

Recombinant monoclonal antibodies bind specific molecular targets and, subsequently, induce an immune response or inhibit the binding of other ligands. ...

Automated and High-throughput Microbial Monoclonal Cultivation and Picking Using The Single-cell Microliter-droplet Culture Omics System

Pure bacterial cultures are essential for the study of microbial culturomics. Traditional methods based on solid plates, well plates, and micro-reactors are hindered by cumbersome procedures and low throughput, impeding the rapid progress of microbial culturomics research. To address these challenges, we had successfully developed the Single-cell Microliter-droplet Culture Omics System (MISS cell), an automated high-throughput platform that utilizes droplet microfluidic technology for microbial monoclonal isolation, cultivation, and screening. This system can generate a large number of single-cell droplets and cultivate, screen, and collect monoclonal colonies in a short time, facilitating an integrated process from microbial isolation to picking. In this protocol, we demonstrated its application using the isolation and cultivation of human gut microbiota as an example and compared the microbial isolation efficiency, monoclonal culture performance, and screening throughput using the solid-plate culture method. The experimental workflow was simple, and reagent consumption was very low. Compared to solid-plate culture methods, the MISS cell could cultivate a greater diversity of gut microbiota species, offering significant potential and value for microbial culturomics research.

This protocol describes how to use the Single-cell Microliter-droplet Culture Omics System (MISS cell) to perform microbial monoclonal isolation, cultivation, and picking. The MISS cell achieves an integrated workflow based on droplet microfluidic technology, which offers excellent droplet monodispersity, high parallel cultivation, and high-throughput biomass detection.

Pure bacterial cultures are essential for the study of microbial culturomics. Traditional methods based on solid plates, well plates, and micro-reactors ...