Single-Use Bioreactor Research Team (SU-BIOreactor)

The Single-use Bioreactor Research Team (SU-BIOreactor) operates in the Department of Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering at the WUT Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering.

The Team's main area of scientific interest is single-use bioreactors. The SU-BIOreactor Team has experience in mathematical modeling of mixing and mass transfer conditions in single-use bioreactors and the applicability of this type of apparatus for growing animal cells, plant cells and organs, and microorganisms.

The team also conducts work in the area of applicability of perfluorinated liquid respiratory gas carriers and biomaterial matrices for intensification of bioprocesses. The team is an awardee of scientific projects funding in the above topics, awarded, among others, by the National Science Centre of Poland (NCN), and through the Excellence Initiative – Research University (IDUB) program at WUT.

The team actively cooperates with research groups from Technische Universität Berlin, the University of Warsaw, the Warsaw Medical University, and with research teams operating within the structures of the Faculty and the Warsaw University of Technology.

Team members

dr hab. inż. Maciej Pilarek, prof. WUT – Team manager

dr inż. Kamil Wierzchowski

mgr inż. Mateusz Bartczak

Research infrastructure

  • Cytiva ReadyToProcess WAVE 25TM bioreactor, equipped with a thermostated platform for Cellbag disposable culture containers
  • Shaker with incubation Lab Companion ISS-7200 with shaking range of 30–300 rpm and incubation temperature range of 20–80°C
  • Laboratory rocker Biosan MR 12 for pilot stage cultures
  • Optical microscope Eclipse TS100 by Nikon equipped with a Canon A630 camera
  • Optical oxygen sensor Mettler Toledo Seven2Go DO
  • Laminar flow cabinet Thermo Scientific HERAsafe KS 12
  • CO2 incubators: NuAire NU-4750E, Heal Force HF 90

Selected achievements

Patents

  • Method for increasing the expression of a recombinant protein and plasmid yield in an eukaryotic or prokaryotic high cell density culture (EPO, EP2402433)
  • Application of perfluorochemicals for extraction of plant metabolites (UPRP, P.404726)

Patent applications

  • Application of organosilicon aerogels for proliferation and immobilization of plant biomass in in vitro cultures, and use of aerogels for intensification of plant metabolite production and intensification of in situ extraction of secondary metabolites in in vitro cultures)UPRP, application no. P.437075)
  • Application of biodegradable polymers to intensify proliferation and immobilization of plant biomass and to enhance in situ production and extraction of plant metabolites in in vitro cultures (UPRP, application no. P.439617)
  • Device for automatic precise repetitive dosing of reagents (UPRP, application no. P.443555)

Offered services

  • Selection of bioreactor operating parameters for bioprocessing based on Design of Experiments (DoE) statistical analysis
  • Selection of microcarrier for batch cultures of adherent animal cells
  • Development of functional modifications of culture systems for bioprocess intensification
  • Scale-up of non-adherent and adherent animal cell cultures in the volume range from 0.1 dm3 to 5 dm3
  • Scale-up of transgenic root culture with selection of a platform for immobilization of root biomass
  • Selection of a system for integrated implementation of plant biomass culture and in situ extraction of secreted plant metabolites

Selected projects

  • Polymeric platforms/scaffolds for the intensified production of plant organ biomass and metabolites in a single-use bioreactor (NCN, 2022–2025)
  • Bifunctional aerogel platforms for intensified biosynthesis of cytotoxic naphthoquinones in in vitro cultures of transgenic roots (IDUB PW, 2021–2022)
  • Biodegradable polymer platform for growing transgenic roots in a wave-type stirred bioreactor (I-Chem.1, 2021–2022)
  • Miniature hybrid wave mixed bioreactor system: research and modeling of animal cell growth (NCN, 2016–2020)