Electric Fields Clean Up Bioreactors

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 29 Nov 2008 - 1:00 PST

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Researchers from EKB Technology - a spinout joint venture between the University of Oxford and C-Tech Innovation - have announced positive results from an elegant method of improving mammalian cell bioreactors. Bioreactors are used to manufacture proteins for medicines, and the researchers have show that a mild electric field can successfully extract unwanted by-product chemicals from the bioreactor.

The main area where the bioreactor process hasn't yet been optimised is the removal of by-products from the bath of nutrients in which the cells grow, allowing the cells to continue producing useful products. The EKB technology should allow bioreactors to run at higher cell densities, bringing down the manufacturing cost.

"One of the toughest problems to solve in this process is the build up of contamination in the bioreactors over time, which effectively poison the cells. This study showed that we could prevent cell death by removing the toxins electrically," said Dr David Baghurst, the commercial manager for the technology.

"We aim to achieve a significant improvement in the cell culture process with this new process, as bioreactors could be run on a continuous basis, rather than in batches."

Many medicinal products including antibodies and hormones are manufactured in bioreactors, in cells suspended in growth media in a bioprocessing facility. The EKB electrokinetic bioreactor works by applying an electric field across the chamber where the cells are located and selectively removing by-products, using the fact that these unwanted chemicals are "charged" and can be moved by the electrical field.

"Tests have shown that the technology is effective at removing by-products such as lactate and ammonium from a continuous flow reactor with an active cell line," said Dr Baghurst.

"We expect this to delivery significant financial savings, and make new treatments commercial viable, and hence more likely to deliver benefits to patients."

EKB Technology Ltd