Unstructured models for suspension cultures of Taxus media cells in a bioreactor under substrate-sufficient conditions

For a better understanding of the simulation, optimization, and process control in cell cultures, good kinetic models are necessary for large scale plant cell culture. In this paper, the systematic kinetics of taxol production by Taxus media cell suspension cultures in a stirred 15-L bioreactor under substrate-sufficient conditions and the absence of inducer intervention were studied. A kinetic model of cell growth was established by logistic equation, and kinetic unstructured models of substrate consumption, product synthesis and rheological behavior were constituted, which incorporated energy spilling. These models were verified by comparing the simulation results with those obtained experimentally. These results showed that energy spilling was a key factor that must be considered in constructing unstructured kinetic models of Taxus media cell suspension cultures in a stirred bioreactor under substrate-sufficient conditions. Besides, an optimized operation measure of decreasing energy spilling was proposed. An increase of 17.64% in cell biomass and 14.88% in taxol concentration were obtained when the strategy of limiting added carbon several times was experimentally implemented in a 15-L bioreactor. Results demonstrated that these established models should be helpful in the process prediction and operation optimization to guide the production and amplification of Taxus media cell suspension cultures in a bioreactor.

► We study Taxus cell cultures in a bioreactor under substrate-sufficient conditions.
► We study the systematic kinetics of Taxus cell cultures in a bioreactor.
► We constitute kinetic unstructured models which incorporated energy spilling.
► Models include models of cell growth, biochemical reactions and rheology.
► We propose an optimized operation strategy of decreasing energy spilling.