Team:UCL/Science/MicroF
From 2014.igem.org
Application of microfluidic techniques to test performance of DPUs in scalable synbio azo-remediation technology
In order to develop and improve the functionality of our bioprocess, key steps must be tested to quantify process variables, and allow for preliminary mass transfer calculations and detection of azo dye degradation rates.
We have created microfluidic prototype devices to test the mixing in our reactors, and to test the performance of our novel immobilisation module, allowing for process optimisation and testing, without the burdens of expensive pilot scale testing.
The process testing timeline demonstrates that effective microfluidic testing can be used in replacement to conventional small-scale testing approaches. This is ideal for our project, especially when optimising whole unit operations.
Since our project involves designing a novel bioprocess using whole-cell biocatalysts, we constructed a microfluidic scale immobilisation module to investigate and evaluate our industrial scale module, the video is shown on the right.
Investigation into reactor design and reaction constraints can be performed with ease and with low reagent cost, as all variables are scaled down to a micro-level.
Most importantly, the scale-down can be carried out without losing any of the accuracy or quantification of data output; this is due the number of sensors and control mechanisms which can be integrated into the microfluidic system.
For our microfluidic bioreactor, we will be using a magnetic free floating bar as our mixing system. This is an effective method of mixing at a microfluidic scale, as demonstrated in the video on the right. The video on the left is of a microfluidic chemostat bioreactor designed by Davies et al. 2014 UCL, using a free-floating bar to mix two dyes.