A novel automated, aerated and affordable bioreactor technology
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Biological Sciences
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Teuta Pilizota (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Throughout this award, we were able to discover the optimal technical design for an affordable bioreactor, this included the optimal control of the motors and the optimal design of the detection system of the bioreactor. |
| Exploitation Route | It has already been put to use by a company OGI Bio Ltd that has been formed based on the work in this award. |
| Sectors | Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | The findings from this award contributed to starting up a company called OGI Bio in February 2020. The company is currently comprised of 10 employees and 1 consultant. |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic |
| Description | BBSRC IAA |
| Amount | £19,520 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BBSRC IAA PIII-038 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2019 |
| End | 01/2020 |
| Description | EPSRC IAA |
| Amount | £55,360 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EPSRC IAA PIII065 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2019 |
| End | 12/2020 |
| Description | Extending the analytical capability of affordable Microbioreactors |
| Amount | £14,900 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | FF-2020-12 |
| Organisation | IBioIC |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2021 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | IBioIC BBSRC CASE scholarship |
| Amount | £136,450 (GBP) |
| Organisation | IBioIC |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | OGI - Follow on fund application |
| Amount | £174,834 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 42965 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2020 |
| End | 10/2021 |
| Description | Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship Cohort 17 |
| Amount | £59,232 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2020 |
| End | 03/2021 |
| Description | iCURE follow on fund application (OGI Follow on fund application) |
| Amount | £249,763 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | iCURe cohort C |
| Amount | £35,496 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | I-C-08 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2019 |
| End | 10/2019 |
| Title | A prototype microbiorector device |
| Description | We developed an affordable prototype microbioreactor that can automate day-to-day bacterial growth and can be widely applicable. The prototype that can operate in the batch culture and turbidostat mode, is based on significantly adapting existing microbioreactor technology, making it more user-friendly and engineering it to an off-the-shelf level, while keeping the costs down. In comparisons to current bioreactors on the market, it is an order of magnitude cheaper and we envision it can replace manual flask-based culture growth. |
| Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | We are currently in the process of spinning out a company that will place the prototype based minimal viable product on the market. |
| Description | Collaboration with OGI Bio Ltd |
| Organisation | OGI BIO LTD |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | In this collaboration, we will develop a bioreactor with in situ imaging capability. By doing so we will access information on microbial cell shape, which is currently inaccessible with high throughput. The collaboration is through an IBioIC and BBSRC CASE studentship. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The company will offer 6-month placement during which the student will have the opportunity to participate and learn about commercialization efforts of the technology we will develop as part of the studentship. |
| Impact | An IBioIC BBSRC CASE scholarship was secured commencing in 2020. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Title | An affordable, modular microbioreactor |
| Description | Development of the modular bioreactor capable of culturing between 5-20ml of culture with the option of turbidostat is protected by know-how. |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Protection not required |
| Year Protection Granted | 2019 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Based on the know-how we spun out OGI Bio Ltd. |
| Title | In situ microbial imaging device |
| Description | Cell counting technology and high-throughput imaging are currently focused mainly on mammalian cells. The task of imaging (and counting via imaging) of microbial, and in particular bacterial cells, is non-trivial due to their small size, extensive size changes (up 10 to 100 times), the fact that bacteria can swim, as well as by the fact that biotechnology-relevant media is turbid and often viscous. A need for in-line imaging devices that are capable of offering high-resolution imaging of microbial cells has been identified. The invention is an imaging apparatus for collecting and imaging a sample within the growing bacterial culture. |
| IP Reference | 2318340.3 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2023 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | The technology is expected to be licensed to OGI Bio, a startup company formed in 2020. The University of Edinburgh and OGI Bio are currently negotiating the license. |
| Company Name | OGI Bio |
| Description | OGI Bio develops a device designed to automate microbial culturing. |
| Year Established | 2020 |
| Impact | The company has been awarded an initial £250k Innovate UK grant for one year to ready its market position. Since then, it secured an additional £1.5M investor funding, grew to 10 employees, and is selling its affordable and retrofittable micro bioreactors (expected to reach cash-positive status within the next 4-6 months). |
| Website | http://ogibio.co.uk |