S.U.B. Enhancements For High-Density Fed-Batch Cultures

By Ben Madsen, Jordan Cobia, Kevin Mullen, Nephi Jones, Thermo Fisher Scientific

Improvements in single-use systems have allowed implementation of high-demand cultures in emerging bioprocess workflows, while progressive advances in media optimization and improved clone genetic selection have underscored the perceived performance limitations of single-use bioreactors (S.U.B.s). This study presents how strategic enhancements to the sparge and agitation systems of Thermo Scientific™ HyPerforma™ S.U.B.s have revealed the potential for a 4- to 5-fold improvement in mixing and mass transfer performance compared to legacy S.U.B. designs.

Importantly, improvements to the S.U.B. design revealed no loss in cell culture growth or bioreactor performance and can ultimately allow for simple scale-up and tech transfer among vessel sizes. An overall increase in oxygen mass transfer abilities can result in lower oxygen usage with appropriate gassing strategies and less foam generation in the reactor. When S.U.B.s are coupled with robust control systems and sensors, cell cultures were optimally controlled to obtain ideal cell growth.