Scaling cell production in physiologically relevant High Throughput Screening

Important results from the project

The WAVE bioreactor system was evaluated for scaling suspension and adherent cell lines for high-throughput screening (HTS) assays. While suspension cultures were successful, desired cell densities were not achieved, and optimization proved challenging. Adherent cultures on microcarriers failed due to poor cell adhesion. Despite these limitations, the study provided valuable insights into the WAVE system’s feasibility and optimization needs for future HTS applications.

Expected long term effects

Long term, adopting practical intermediate scale-up systems will reduce costs, lower environmental impact, and avoid major equipment investments. These systems support faster optimization across multiple cell lines and better align with our workflows. They also enable more consistent, scalable cell production for HTS and may allow freezing of “ready-to-use” cell batches to streamline future screening campaigns.

Approach and implementation

The project was structured into three phases: preparation, WAVE bioreactor testing at Testa Center, and data analysis. In collaboration with qualified vendors, we evaluated small-scale cell culture conditions and applied the most effective strategies in WAVE trials. Insights gained from these experiments and our hands-on work at Testa Center have helped define the next steps for advancing our cell scale-up strategy.