Development of a Microchip CE-HPMS Analyzer for Bioreactor Monitoring

The development of a compact microchip-based capillary electrophoresis-high pressure mass spectrometer (CE-HPMS) analyzer for near real-time monitoring of the nutrients and cell metabolites involved in the biomanufacturing process is the focus.

Project status

100% Completed

Industry Need

Currently, liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry is the preferred technique for the simultaneous analysis of metabolites and nutrients. Due to the size and complexity of the instrumentation, analyses are done off-line in a centralized lab by highly trained personnel. Such analyses require lengthy sample preparation steps, and relatively large sample volumes (milliliters) making them incompatible with early process development studies in microbioreactors or near real-time bioreactor monitoring.

Solution

We proposed the development of a compact microchip-based capillary electrophoresis-high pressure mass spectrometer (CE-HPMS) platform capable of monitoring both cation and anion metabolites and growth media constituents in near real time.

Outputs/Deliverables

Integrated a microchip capillary electrophoresis device using negative ESI with both a commercial and high pressure mass spectrometer for detection of anions.
Showed capability of detecting multiple anion metabolites and organic acids in bioreactor media in less than 10 minutes.

Impacts

Develop a compact microchip-based capillary electrophoresis-high pressure mass spectrometer (CE-HPMS) analyzer for near real-time monitoring of the nutrients and cell metabolites involved in the biomanufacturing process.