Microfluidic single-cell cultivation: A key for next generation bioprocess development

Our understanding of large-scale bioprocesses is still dominated by an average cell approach in which the reactor is well-stirred and all cells behave equally. In contrast, the complex interplay between environmental reactor dynamics and the subsequent cellular response is still a mystery. As a result, cells often show a significant variability in growth and production, potentially influencing the performance and robustness of bioprocesses [1]. Therefore, novel analytical methods need to be developed to understand these processes in detail [2,3]. In this presentation I will give an introduction into bioprocess microfluidics especially microfluidic single-cell cultivation and its application for bioprocess engineering, biotechnology and life sciences. Microfluidic single-cell bioreactors [4] offer precisely controlled external environmental conditions and allow single-cell analysis at full spatio-temporal resolution. I will demonstrate the versatility of these reactors and how these can be used to get a deeper understanding of microbial bioprocesses on the example of industrially relevant production hosts [5-8]. Latest developments, results as well as technological challenges will be discussed.

References
[1] Delvigne et al., (2017), Journal of Biotechnology, 12(7):1600549
[2] Grünberger, A., et al., (2014), Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 29:15-23
[3] Dusny, C and Grünberger, A., (2020), Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2020, 63:26–33
[4] Grünberger, A., et al., (2012), Lab on a Chip, 12(11): 2060-2068
[5] Mustafi et al., (2014), PlosOne, 9:e85731
[6] Täuber et al., (2020), Lab on a Chip, 20(23):4442-4455
[7] Ho et al., (2022), Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, 4:826485
[8] Täuber et al., (2022), Biotechnology and Bioengineering, DOI: 10.1002/bit.28208