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Physical Sciences Inc, in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, has been awarded a research program by the National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health to develop a novel two-photon excitation (TPE) fluorescence redox sensor for on-line, real-time measurement of cell metabolism in bioreactors for natural products fermentation.

Natural products including polyketides, fatty acids, amino acids, terpenoids and steroids are playing an increasingly important role in the pharmaceutical industry. Though many of the natural products are discovered in plants, mass production of these molecules relies on culturing microorganisms in bioreactors. However, it is often a challenge to develop and maintain high biomanufacturing productivity and yield to enable low-cost and high-quality production at large scales. PSI is addressing the need to rapidly and accurately measure the physiological status of microbes at the cellular level within bioreactors. Measuring the cellular metabolic state, especially energetic and redox parameters, is key to guiding decisions on feeding strategies and other operation actions.

PSI’s is developing a robust TPE fiber probe that can be sterilized and inserted into bioreactor cultures for continuous measurement of dynamic changes of important intracellular metabolites. The intracellular redox ratio will be monitored using the autofluorescence of endogenous fluorophores, eliminating the need for exogenous fluorescence labeling. Development of this versatile, fiber-based redox probe draws on innovative techniques including high-throughput delivery of femtosecond laser pulses through a specialty fiber cord and efficient signal collection using a unique fiber bundle design. This addresses a key limitation in biomanufacturing, accurately monitoring the cells within bioreactors.

For more information, contact:

Mr. William Kessler
Vice President, Applied Optics
kessler@psicorp.com
Physical Sciences Inc.
Telephone: (978) 689-0003