Noninvasive oxygen measurements and mass transfer considerations in tissue culture flasks

Murine hybridomas were cultivated in tissue culture flasks. Dissolved oxygen tensions in the gas and liquid phases during cell growth were monitored. Oxygen levels were measured noninvasively by interrogating an oxygen-sensitive patch mounted on the interior surface of the tissue culture flask with an optrode from outside the tissue culture flask. Readings were made in tissue culture flasks with caps both cracked open and completely closed. Although the oxygen in the gas phase remained near atmospheric oxygen levels in both flasks, over time the liquid-phase oxygen tension at the bottom of the flasks reached zero during cell growth in both the open and closed tissue culture flasks. These results suggest that the widespread practice of cracking open tissue culture flask caps during cell growth with a view to supplying adequate oxygen to cells is ineffective and probably unnecessary.The mass transfer characteristics of the tissue culture flask were also studied. The dominant resistance to oxygen mass transfer to the sensor and the cells was through the liquid media. The mass transfer rates through the liquid layer under standard laboratory conditions were found to be greater than those predicted by diffusion alone. This suggests that mixing at a microscale occurs. Volumetric and specific oxygen consumption rates were also calculated from the sensor data. These consumption rates were comparable with values published elsewhere. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A cell culture platform for quantifying metabolic substrate oxidation in bicarbonate-buffered medium

Complex diseases such as cancer and diabetes are underpinned by changes in metabolism, specifically by which and how nutrients are catabolized. Substrate utilization can be directly examined by measuring a metabolic endpoint rather than an intermediate (such as a metabolite in the tricarboxylic acid cycle). For instance, oxidation of specific substrates can be measured in vitro by incubation of live cultures with substrates containing radiolabeled carbon and measuring radiolabeled carbon dioxide. To increase throughput, we previously developed a miniaturized platform to measure substrate oxidation of both adherent and suspension cells using multiwell plates rather than flasks. This enabled multiple conditions to be examined simultaneously, ideal for drug screens and mechanistic studies. However, like many metabolic assays, this was not compatible with bicarbonate-buffered media, which is susceptible to alkalinization upon exposure to gas containing little carbon dioxide such as air. While other buffers such as HEPES can overcome this problem, bicarbonate has additional biological roles as a metabolic substrate and in modulating hormone signaling. Here, we create a bicarbonate-buffered well-plate platform to measure substrate oxidation. This was achieved by introducing a sealed environment within each well that was equilibrated with carbon dioxide, enabling bicarbonate buffering. As proof of principle, we assessed metabolic flux in cultured adipocytes, demonstrating that bicarbonate-buffered medium increased lipogenesis, glucose oxidation, and sensitivity to insulin in comparison to HEPES-buffered medium. This convenient and high-throughput method facilitates the study and screening of metabolic activity under more physiological conditions to aid biomedical research.     

Real-time monitoring of shake flask fermentation and off gas using triple disposable noninvasive optical sensors

Bioprocess development is a data-driven process requiring a large number of experiments to be conducted under varying conditions. Small-scale upstream bioprocess development is often performed in shake flasks because they are inexpensive and can be operated in parallel. However, shake flasks are often not equipped to accurately monitor critical process parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and CO2 concentrations. Therefore, there is no definitive information on oxygen supply of growing cells, CO2 formation, and pH changes. Here we describe several shake flask fermentations where all three parameters are monitored by disposable noninvasive optical sensors. The sensitive element of these sensors is a thin, luminescent patch affixed inside the flask. Small electronic devices for excitation and fluorescence detection are positioned outside the shake flask for noninvasive monitoring. By measuring the process parameters throughout the course of the E. coli fermentations, we obtain information that is not routinely available in shake flask fermentations. For example, for cultures with only a few millimeters liquid depth, oxygen limitation can occur at relatively low agitation speeds. Under certain conditions oscillations in dissolved oxygen can occur. An increase in shaker speed and a decrease in culture volume can increase the oxygen availability and reduce the duration of oxygen limitation.     

Determination of CO₂ sensitivity of micro-organisms in shaken bioreactors. I. Novel method based on the resistance of sterile closure

Influence of carbon dioxide on growth and product kinetics of industrially important micro-organisms is essential for the interpretation of a bioprocess. In this research, the CO? effects on productivity and growth rate of micro-organisms have been studied by using a variety of kplug. The applied method is based on a different concentration of CO? in the headspace of ventilation flasks. The presented method is simple, inexpensive and shows similar results compared to large-scale fermentation regarding the evolution of CO? in a batch system. For the investigation of the proposed method, experiments employing Arxula adeninivorans LS3, Corynebacterium glutamicum (DM1730 and ATCC WT13032) and Hansenula polymorpha DSM70277 as model organisms in the ventilation flasks are performed. The fermentations in the RAMOS (respiratory activity monitoring system) device were carried out with a normal aeration rate (1 vvm) and under the same operating conditions as the ventilation flask f1. The modified unsteady-state model was used to predict the operation conditions of a biological system in the ventilation flasks. In the present study, a novel and easy method for the quantification of CO? sensitivity of micro-organisms in shaken bioreactors (called ventilation flask) was achieved.     

The Role of Carbon Dioxide as an Essential Nutrient for Six Permanent Strains of Fibroblasts

The results of these studies demonstrate that carbon dioxide is required for the growth and maintenance of strains of fibroblasts derived from human tissues, strains FS4-705 and U12-705, from mouse tissue, strain L-705, and from rabbit tissues, strains RM3-56, RS1-56, and RT-56 in a chemically defined medium containing phosphite buffer in place of bicarbonate and supplemented with dialyzed serum and dialyzed embryo extract. Under these conditions, the cells fail to proliferate at a significant rate and begin to degenerate within 5 to 10 days when the flasks are not stoppered. Sufficient carbon dioxide is produced by the cells to promote growth as indicated by the fact that maximal proliferation is obtained in the same phosphite media when stoppered flasks are employed. With the exception of RS1-56, all the remaining strains tested can be propagated serially in open flasks containing phosphite medium prepared with whole serum and embryo extract. The rate of growth under these conditions, however, is only one-half to one-third that obtained in stoppered flasks containing phosphite medium or the conventional bicarbonate medium.     

Continuous cultivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I. Growth on ethanol under steady-state conditions

Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae LBG H 1022 on ethanol under steady-state conditions was studied. As a cultivation device, an aerated Chemap fermentor combined with continuously working gas analyzers for oxygen and carbon dioxide was used. Dry matter, substrate concentration, yield, specific oxygen uptake, specific carbon dioxide release, and respiration quotient, as well as nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, hydrogen, and protein content of the cells were measured in dependence on the dilution rate. Cell size distribution, as a function of the specific growth rate, was determined with the aid of a Celloscope 202. A fair agreement with the theory of continuous culture for all metabolic curves could be established. An increased turnover rate resulted from the addition of glutamic acid to the synthetic growth medium. The primary effect of this supplement could be a rise in the flow rate of the tricarboxylic acid cycle.     

Noninvasive measurement of dissolved oxygen in shake flasks

Shake flasks are ubiquitous in cell culture and fermentation. However, conventional devices for measuring oxygen concentrations are impractical in these systems. Thus, there is no definitive information on the oxygen supply of growing cells. Here we report the noninvasive, nonintrusive monitoring of dissolved oxygen (DO) in shake flasks using a low-cost optical sensor. The oxygen-sensitive element is a thin, luminescent patch affixed to the inside bottom of the flask. The sensitivity and accuracy of this device is maximal up to 60% DO, within the range that is critical to cell culture applications. By measuring actual oxygen levels every 1 or 5 min throughout the course of yeast and E. coli fermentations, we found that a modest increase in shaker speed and a decrease in culture volume slowed the onset of oxygen limitation and reduced its duration. This is the first time that in situ oxygen limitation is reported in shake flasks. The same data is unattainable with a Clark type electrode because the presence of the intrusive probe itself changes the actual conditions. Available fiber optic oxygen sensors require cumbersome external connections and recalibration when autoclaved.     

Comparison of the kinetics of lipopeptide production by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens XZ-173 in solid-state fermentation under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions

This study aimed to compare the kinetics of lipopeptide production in solid-state fermentation (SSF) under isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Models based on the logistic, modified Gompertz and Luedeking–Piret-like equations were developed to describe the time course of fermentation under different conditions. The experiments were conducted in 250 mL flasks and a 50 L fermenter. The results showed that the non-isothermal process had higher levels of product formation rate and substrate utilization rate compared to the isothermal process. The part of substrate carbon to meet microbial maintenance—energy, biomass and lipopeptides formation requirements got increased using the non-isothermal technique. In addition, fermenter conditions positively influenced the lipopeptides formation rate with significantly higher levels of substrate for the microbial growth and product formation, though the product productivity and biomass both decreased as compared to flask. This is the first report that investigates the effects of temperature changing on the kinetics of lipopeptide production by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain under SSF condition using soybean flour and rice straw as major substrates in flask and in fermenter.     

Quantitative tracer studies of metabolic dynamics of animal cells growing in tissue culture

Metabolic dynamics of animal cells, growing in tissue culture, can be determined quantitatively by allowing the cells to metabolize radioactively labeled substrates under carefully controlled steady-state conditions. In order to avoid artifacts resulting from uncontrolled changes in physiological conditions, a steady-state apparatus for animal cells (SAFAC) has been constructed. In this device, cells in culture plates (max of 30) can be given radioactive substrate and incubated for various periods without disturbing the steady-state metabolism prior to killing. Subsequent analysis by two-dimensional paper chromatography and radioautography shows that metabolites are labeled rapidly and thereafter are maintined at constant levels of radioactivity, as expected for steady-state metabolism.     

On line estimation of oxygen uptake rate for insect cells growing in a modified spinner flask

The simple design of traditional spinner flasks makes the on-line estimation of cellular metabolism impossible. An on-line estimation system has been developed and used for the monitoring of oxygen uptake rate (OUR) for insect cells growing in a modified spinner flask. Neglect of oxygen desorption from culture media is a common source of error in OUR measurements for Sf21 cells. Therefore, an algorithm was developed to compensate for the affect of such desorption process on the determination of OUR. A modified spinner flask was successfully used as a low-volume bioreactor for insect cell cultivation and the OUR measurement developed here is both convenient and reliable.     

Growth of a Catharanthus roseus cell suspension culture in a modified chemostat under glucose-limiting conditions

Summary A system for the continuous cultivation of plant cells has been developed, based on a commercially available 3–1 turbine-stirred fermentor. A special device was constructed to provide for homogeneous effluent from the culture at low dilution rates. Two steady states with Catharanthus roseus cells growing under glucose limitation are described with respect to biomass yield on the carbon and energy source glucose, specific oxygen consumption, specific carbon dioxide production and (by)product formation. From a carbon balance for each steady state it is shown that the flow of carbon to the culture (as glucose) practically equalled the flow of carbon from the culture (as biomass, carbon dioxide and (by)product). Biomass yields on glucose were 0.31 g/g and 0.35 g/g at dilution rates of 0.0060 l/h and 0.0081 l/h respectively. The striking difference between the obtained yield coefficients and biomass yield commonly found for batch-cultured plant cells is discussed.     

培养方式对真皮组织体外构建的影响

采用静态培养和转瓶培养方式分别构建真皮组织,考察培养方式和搅拌转速对细胞在三维支架材料中增殖、代谢、分布的影响。结果表明,由转瓶培养方式构建的细胞-材料复合物,其最终细胞密度和细胞比生长速率均明显高于静态培养（14.2~27.6×106 cells/cm3 vs 10.1×106 cells/cm3和0.145~0.262 d-1 vs 0.111 d-1）,而转速达80 r/min的转瓶尤其突出;静态培养的细胞-材料复合物内部细胞稀少,且分布不均匀,转瓶培养的细胞-材料复合物在材料表面和内部细胞密度都有所提高,分布情况也得到改善,且80 r/min转瓶培养的组织其细胞密度和分布均优于10 r/min和40 r/min转瓶培养。转瓶培养在其转速达到一定强度时能明显提高细胞在支架中的增殖速率,缩短培养时间,并有效改善细胞在支架内的分布,是一种理想的培养方式。     

胀果甘草悬浮培养细胞合成甘草总黄酮

比较了胀果甘草(Glycyrrhiza inflata)悬浮细胞在逐级放大摇瓶中的生长、黄酮产量以及营养消耗过程,以便了解其放大规律。结果表明,在250和500mL摇瓶中,细胞的最大生物量、黄酮产量以及最大比生长速率没有显著性差异,但是在1L的摇瓶中,这三种参数都显著地降低,分别比250mL摇瓶中降低了27%,30%和27%。在逐级放大的摇瓶中,氮、磷、铵浓度都随着培养时间延长而逐渐降低,尽管在1L的摇瓶中磷消耗得最慢,但三种摇瓶中磷在细胞生长对数期基本都被消耗尽了。此外,硝态氮在第18天时基本被消耗完,而铵态氮在细胞收获时仍能维持在100mg/L。因此在反应器中培养时,主要的培养条件还需进一步优化。     

Microbial metabolism of 2-arylpropionic acids: effect of environment on the metabolism of ibuprofen by Verticillium lecanii

The effect of environment on the growth of Verticillium lecanii and its metabolic transformation of racemic ibuprofen are reported. The growth of V. lecanii exhibited a lag phase of up to 12 h followed by a period of rapid growth for up to 4 d. The optimal conditions for growth of the micro-organism were determined to be 24°C at pH 7.0 with a culture volume of up to one-tenth of the culture flask volume.
The metabolic oxidation of (R,S)-ibuprofen occurred in both growing cultures and washed cell suspensions of V. lecanii. Examination of the stereochemical composition of the remaining substrate indicated that under both conditions the oxidation was substrate stereoselective for the R-enantiomer of the drug. Using growing cultures of the micro-organism, quantitative conversion of the substrate to the metabolite was achieved following incubation for 14 d. Examination of the enantiomeric composition of the metabolic product indicated an excess of the S-isomer (ratio S/R = 2.1). The possible mechanisms for the apparent anomaly in the stereoselectivity of (R,S)-ibuprofen metabolism and the enantiomeric composition of the metabolite are discussed.     

Model of dissolved organic carbon distribution for substrate-sufficient continuous culture.

The growth yields (Yobs) are greater under substrate-limited conditions than those under substrate-sufficient conditions in continuous cultures. This indicates that the excess substrate should cause uncoupling between anabolism and catabolism. It appears that the excess substrate could determine metabolic pathways of microorganisms, which further control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) distribution under substrate-sufficient conditions. However, how to quantitatively describe the DOC distribution remains unclear in substrate-sufficient continuous culture. Based on a balanced DOC reaction, a DOC distribution model was developed in relation to residual substrate concentration for substrate-sufficient continuous cultures. Results showed that a considerable portion of the DOC consumed was directly oxidized to carbon dioxide through energy spilling under substrate-sufficient conditions. The proposed model for the first time quantified the DOC distribution between nongrowth-associated and growth-associated metabolisms of cells. The proposed model was verified with literature data very well.     

Preservation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from umbilical cord blood stored in a surface derivatized with polymer nanosegments

Tissue culture flasks were prepared with immobilized amphiphilic nanosegments of Pluronic F68 and F127, polyethylene oxide (PEO)-polypropylene oxide (PPO)-PEO triblock copolymers, on their surfaces. These so-called "Pluronic-immobilized flasks" were used for the preservation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from umbilical cord blood. The expression ratio of surface markers (CD34) on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells stored in Pluronic-immobilized flasks was significantly higher than that in polystyrene tissue culture flasks or commercially available bioinert flasks (i.e., low cell-binding cultureware). This was due to the presence of flexible brushlike segments of Pluronic on the Pluronic-immobilized flask. A good correlation was found between the number of CD34+ cells and the ratio of viable CD34+ cells from cord blood in several flasks after five days of storage. Therefore, the high number of CD34+ cells was thought to have originated from the high viability of these cells stored in Pluronic-immobilized flasks. It was found that there was an optimal surface concentration of Pluronic on the Pluronic-immobilized flask surfaces for the preservation (high number and survival) of these stem and progenitor cells. The foregoing results were attributable to the high density of Pluronic nanosegments on the flask surface, limiting the movement of these flexible segments.     

Long-term storage of somatic embryogenic white spruce tissue at ambient temperature

The effeet of long-term storage on the viability and regeneration eapacity of somatic embryogenic white spruce tissue (Picea glauca) was investigated. It was found that by keeping white spruce embryogenic tissue in serum-capped flasks at ambient temperatures, a viability of 80% could be maintained without subculturing for a period of over one year. Growth characteristics of the embryogenic tissue on solid medium and suspension cultures derived therefrom were essentially identical to the culture from which they originated. Ethylene and carbon dioxide accumulation peaked around days 8 to 10 in serum-capped cultures and declined thereafter during the short-term (20 days). When ethylene and carbon dioxide levels were measured over a period of five months, in flasks varying in their degree of gas tightness, it was found that those cultures that maintained higher carbon dioxide concentrations after five months remained viable and could be recultured under normal conditions. Development to cotyledon stage embryos from immature embryos could be obtained by exposure of the long-term storage material to 10 M ABA, and the number of maturing embryos was found to be similar to that of the original culture.     

A minichamber device for maintaining a constant carbon dioxide in ari atmosphere during prolonged culture of cells on the stage of an inverted microscope

Summary Construction details are described for a minichamber device that maintains a localized atmosphere of carbon dioxide in air over the stage of an innerted microscope. This device is easily constructed, from Plexiglas and its specifications can be adjusted to fit virtually any inverted microscopy. A flow of warm, humidified carbon dioxide in air gas mixture can be directed over a petri dish or unsealed culture flask to maintain the pH of bicarbonate-CO₂ buffered media. By this means, prolonged culture of cells directly on the microscope stage is made possible without occurrence of detrimental pH changes. If the microscope is fitted with an environmental control chamber to maintain temperature, cells can be maintained on the microscope stage for days, permitting frequent observation of cell growth and activity. Alternatively, continuous cine or video recordings can be made. For example, using this device, hamster and rhesus monkey embryos have been cultured for 2 to 5 d on an inverted microscope while continuous time-lapse recordings were made of cell division and differentiation and activity of cellular organelles. The work was supported by National Institutes of Health RR00167 to the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center and HD14765 to B.D.B., and Life Sciences University of Wisconsin-Madison.     

Microcalorimetric measurements of tissue cells in vitro

A culture flask was designed for the microcalorimetric measurements of tissue cells by an MS 80 standard calvet microcalorimeter. Tissue cells cultured in this flask behaved in the same manner as in the common culture flask used in cytobiological studies. The thermograms of human adenocarcinoma gastric cells (SGc 7901) and HeLa cells were obtained. The heat output power of SGc 7901 cells continuously increased for 70 h with an initial cell number of 3.0 X 10(5). The thermogram was reproducible under strictly controlled conditions. The relationship between the heat output power and the number of SGc 7901 cells within 48 h was obtained. The heat output power was 40 pW/cell to 49 pW/cell when the cell number was in the range 4.5 X 10(5) to 10.4 X 10(5). It was 62.3 +/- 2.9 pW/cell for HeLa cells when the cell number was 6 X 10(5).     

Photosynthetic carbon dioxide assimilation by Rhodospirillum rubrum

Summary Although Rhodospirillum rubrum, grown photoheterotrophically on malate, assimilates carbon dioxide less rapidly than it does when grown autotrophically, the difference is less marked than previously suggested.The rate of photoassimilation of carbon dioxide varies during batch culture on malate, reaching a maximum at about mid-exponential phase. It also varies with density and growth rate in a turbidostat continuous-flow culture on malate and increases with decreasing growth rate in a chemostat continuous-flow culture growing with limiting malate concentrations.The changing rates of carbon dioxide photoassimilation during photoheterotrophic growth under the various conditions are paralleled by changing activities of ribulose diphosphate carboxylase.Under conditions of maximum carbon dioxide fixation the rate by photoheterotrophic cultures approaches that shown by the bacterium growing autotrophically and is assimilated eight to ten times more slowly than is malate in chemostat cultures.The rate of carbon dioxide fixation also increases to that shown by autotrophic cells when photoheterotrophic cultures are deprived of malate, but without subjecting them to the conditions required for autotrophic growth.