Novel Airlift Reactor Fitting for Hairy Root Cultures: Developmental and Performance Studies

Abstract

In vitro growth of Solanum chrysotrichum hairy roots was carried out in three different types of reactors: shake flasks, a glass-draught internal-loop 2-L basic design airlift reactor (BDR), and a novel modified mesh-draught with wire-helixes 2-L reactor (MR). In each of them, the growth patterns were different, as well as some of the dynamic parameters. The specific growth rates were 0.08, 0.067, and 0.112 d(-1) for shake flasks, BDR, and MR, respectively. In shake flasks and in the MR, growth followed first-order kinetics. In the MR without roots, superficial liquid velocity in the riser and downcomer ranged from 2.1 to 2.7 and 1.4 to 1.7 cm s(-1), respectively (nearly the same as the BDR values). After 42 days in culture, tissue density in the MR was twice that found in the BDR and about the same as that found in the shake flasks. At the tissue densities reached at 42 days, superficial liquid velocities in the MR and BDR downcomers were 4-5 and 7-8 times lower, and mixing times were 11 and 18 times longer than those observed without roots. Tissue densities measured at three points in the MR's downcomer and riser ranged from 10.21 to 12.17 and 4.94 to 5.24 gDW L(-1) respectively. Dynamic gas hold-up dropped faster when roots grew radially in the mesh-draught. In addition, root cultures were scaled-up in a 10-L MR reactor in which some geometric relations were maintained, such as the Q/V radio. Growth in 10-L MR followed first-order kinetics, but despite this, specific growth velocity was 0.09 d(-1) and overall tissue density diminished slightly with respect to that of the 2-L MR. Tissue inoculation, distribution, and harvest were more easily accomplished in the MRs.

Hairy Root Culture for Mass-Production of High-Value Secondary Metabolites

“…These limitations can have a negative impact on hairy root growth and secondary metabolite production, and therefore modifications are required in the design. Novel airlift reactor fittings have been designed and used to more easily accomplish tissue inoculation, distribution, and harvest during the kinetic study of Solanum chrysotrichum hairy roots (Caspeta et al, 2005).…”

Design of an ON/OFF mist duty cycle in mist bioreactors for the growth of hairy roots

“…The evolution of this ratio is a combined effect of drainage, mist capture and root growth as shown in Eq. (10). Initially, the capture term dominates and the ratio rises.…”

“…In order to evaluate the performance of the mist reactor, numerical values for model parameters were estimated from the literature [7][8][9][10][11]. Since a wide range of such values have been reported, a suitable set was difficult to select.…”

Bioreactors: Airlift Reactors

“…ALRs may find successful applications in plant cell and roots suspension cultures (428)(429)(430)(431)(432)(433)(434)(435)(436). Airlift bioreactors are also used for the production of recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies from large-scale mammalian cell cultures (14,(437)(438)(439) or to produce penicillin G from immobilized Penicillium chrysogenum in a DT-ALR, utilizing a magnetic field.…”