Polymer-based controlled-release fed-batch microtiter plate – diminishing the gap between early process development and production conditions

Background Fed-batch conditions are advantageous for industrial cultivations as they avoid unfavorable phenomena appearing in batch cultivations. Those are for example the formation of overflow metabolites, catabolite repression, oxygen limitation or inhibition due to elevated osmotic concentrations. For both, the early bioprocess development and the optimization of existing bioprocesses, small-scale reaction vessels are applied to ensure high throughput, low costs and prompt results. However, most conventional small-scale procedures work in batch operation mode, which stands in contrast to fed-batch conditions in large-scale bioprocesses. Extensive expenditure for installations and operation accompany almost all cultivation systems in the market allowing fed-batch conditions in small-scale. An alternative, more cost efficient enzymatic glucose release system is strongly influenced by environmental conditions. To overcome these issues, this study investigates a polymer-based fed-batch system for controlled substrate release in microtiter plates.