POLYMERIC ENCAPSULATION OF WHOLE CELLS AS BIOREACTORS
According to one inventive concept, a method for forming a bioreactor includes: forming a three-dimensional structure using an additive manufacturing technique; infilling the at least one side of the three-dimensional structure with a mixture for forming a polymer-encapsulated whole cells; and curing the infilled three-dimensional structure.
1 . A method for forming a bioreactor, the method comprising:
forming a three-dimensional structure using an additive manufacturing technique;
infilling the at least one side of the three-dimensional structure with a mixture for forming a polymer-encapsulated whole cells; and
curing the infilled three-dimensional structure.
2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises a lattice.
3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises a cube.
4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises a tube.
5 . The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein a wall of the tube is gas-permeable.
6 . The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein an inner surface of the wall defines a center portion of the tube.
7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing technique includes projection microstereolithography.
8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing technique includes direct ink writing.
9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the polymer-encapsulated whole cells comprise a plurality of living whole cells.
10 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the living whole cells comprise methanotrophic organisms.
11 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the living whole cells comprise methylotrophic organisms.
12 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the living whole cells comprise yeast.
13 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the bioreactor is configured to maintain viability of the living whole cells for a duration of at least five days.
14 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bioreactor is gas permeable.
15 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the whole cells is characterized by a cell optical density in a range from about 4.0 to about 160.
16 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising injecting a buffer in the center portion of the tube, wherein the buffer comprises nutrients for the polymer-encapsulated whole cells.
17 . The method as recited in claim 16 , comprising changing or replacing the buffer.
18 . The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising immobilizing the whole cells in a wall of the three-dimensional structure.
19 . The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the wall comprises a hydrogel, wherein the method comprises immobilizing the whole cells in the hydrogel.
20 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein curing the infilled three-dimensional structure comprises crosslinking the polymer using UV radiation.