Abstract
We present a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) compatible platform for the automated real-time monitoring of biochemical reactions using a flow shuttling configuration. This platform requires a working sample volume of ∼11 mL and it can circulate samples with a flow rate of 28 mL/min, which makes it suitable to be used for real-time monitoring of biochemical reactions. Another advantage of the proposed low-cost platform is the high spectral resolution. As a proof of concept, we acquire H NMR spectra of waste orange peel, bioprocessed using Trichoderma reesei fungus, and demonstrate the real-time measurement capability of the platform. The measurement is performed over more than 60 h, with a spectrum acquired every 7 min, such that over 510 data points are collected without user intervention. The designed system offers high resolution, automation, low user intervention, and, therefore, time-efficient measurement per sample.
Highlights
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an important analytical technique in both material and medical sciences
We demonstrate real-time monitoring of a bioreaction by NMR spectroscopy while using a flow shuttling system to deliver the sample to and from a bioreactor placed outside of the NMR magnet
It is noted that high spectral resolution is maintained, as would be expected of a standard liquid state NMR experiment
Summary
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an important analytical technique in both material and medical sciences. NMR is non-destructive and non-invasive, making it a perfect tool for real-time investigations of the molecular composition of bioreactions [1,2]. The value of such information is intrinsically high, with the potential to reveal opportunities for reaction optimization towards the desired end result, for example, the production of an industrially relevant product in the case of bio-based waste processing [3]. In order to accurately reflect the true metabolism and not a stressed state as a result of the measurement system, the capability to maintain a sample in its natural state is essential, with additional value possible when including the potential for (bio)chemical treatment. Most systems implement a perfusion system [8,16,18,19] and, in the case of cell cultures, a scaffold for cell immobilization to ensure
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