Abstract

High Throughput Cell Factory Screening by Picoliter Droplet Microfluidics

Hakan Joensson, Group Leader, KTH Royal Institute of Technology

Cell factories are the producer cells at the heart of bio-based industry. These cells are engineered to produce e.g. biofuels, chemicals or biopharmaceuticals. The commercial success of these products depends on their efficient production in cell factories. The improvement of complex traits of cell factories such as secretion or secreted production require screening of large genetic diversity libraries. In this talk high throughput droplet microfluidics tools, workflows and picoliter scale screening assays and assay formats for single cell or clone screening at rates of up to a million cells or clones per hour is presented. Examples from droplet screens and assays for some of the most important cell factories to current and future bioindustry such as the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the cyanobacteria Synechocystis Sp. and biopharmaceuticals producer Chineese Hamster Ovary cells will be demonstrated.