A digital microfluidic platform for high yield CHO cell line detection and culture

在NSERC联盟的这份提案中，Sartorius Canada、赛诺菲·巴斯德和多伦多大学的惠勒研究小组提议共同探索数字微流控技术的开发，以识别和筛选从模型细胞系(中国仓鼠卵巢或“CHO”细胞)生产的治疗性蛋白质。我们是从事这一项目的理想团队，因为加拿大萨托里乌斯公司在开发用于生产治疗性蛋白质的仪器方面处于市场领先地位，赛诺菲巴斯德公司是世界上最大的疫苗生产商之一，惠勒集团在使用独特的数字微流体(DMF)平台实现细胞培养和分析自动化方面有着长期的记录。我们建议开发新的DMF使能系统，允许优化CHO细胞生产单抗、重组疫苗蛋白和其他重要生物制品。这项工作的关键成果是一个最终可以作为Sartorius产品基础的平台，该平台将允许赛诺菲·巴斯德等最终用户自动进行CHO细胞培养，以确定能够产生最高蛋白质产量的高性能细胞和/或最佳培养基配方，从而提高效率和盈利能力。这项应用代表着最终可能成为加拿大一个重要故事的开始--开发用于在CHO细胞中高效生产蛋白质的数字微流控系统。我们事先感谢NSERC对这一新努力的潜在支持，这可能会为加拿大人和世界各地的其他人带来重要利益。

In this NSERC Alliance proposal, Sartorius Canada, Sanofi Pasteur, and the Wheeler research group at the University of Toronto propose to work together to explore the development of digital microfluidic technologies for lead candidate identification and screening of therapeutic protein production from a model cell line (Chinese Hamster Ovary, or "CHO" cells). We are an ideal team to pursue this project, as Sartorius Canada is a market leader in the development of instrumentation that is used in the production of therapeutic proteins, Sanofi Pasteur is one of the top vaccine-producers in the world, and the Wheeler group has a long track record in automating cell culture and analysis using the unique platform that is known as digital microfluidics (DMF). We propose to develop new DMF-enabled systems that allow for the optimization of CHO cell production of monoclonal antibodies, recombinant vaccine proteins, and other important bioproducts. The key deliverable of this work is a platform that could eventually serve as the basis for a Sartorius product that will allow end-users such as Sanofi Pasteur to automate CHO cell culture to identify high-performing cells and/or optimal media formulations which lead to the highest protein yield, which will increase efficiency and profitability. This application represents the beginning of what may eventually become an important Canadian story - the development of digital microfluidic systems for efficient protein production in CHO cells. We thank NSERC in advance for potential support of this nascent effort, which could lead to important benefits for Canadians and others around the world.