Preparing a Bioreactor for Avian Cell Culture

Background

This project, in collaboration with Upside Foods and Thermo Fisher, focuses on optimizing a 50L bioreactor for avian cell growth. Thermo Fisher has assembled the bioreactor while Upside Foods has provided design specifications and avian specific growth media.

The core components of the project are the pH levels and kLa values. Both are critical to maintaining the ideal environment for cell growth. Our cells require a pH of 7.2 (±0.1-0.2) for optimal growth, but as bioreactors increase in size, pH stability becomes harder to maintain as cell growth generates acidic waste. Avian cells also require the bioreactor to maintain a suitable kLa, a measure of oxygen transfer efficiency.

Approach/Results

• Finalize the Bioreactor setup for gas application. Perform the kLa testing by purging Oxygen from the system, then sparging oxygen rich gas back into the system to monitor the dissolved oxygen content of the system.

Objectives/Significance

• Our goal is to provide foundation of modular testing for future teams.
• Upside Foods research partnership with USU ensures importance of operational bioreactor for future testing.
• Reactor specific kLa behavior as a function of impeller speed ensures improved cell growth.
• Future testing aims to develop lab grown meat production, improving efficiency and bringing down cost to the consumer.

Ongoing Work

• Finalize parametric kLa trials using water as baseline.
• Testing kLa behavior with growth medium in the Bioreactor.
• Merger of upcoming team for next year's continuation.