Bioreactors used to manufacture bioplastics and biologic drugs cannot currently monitor whether their cells are healthy or stressed, leading to costly production failures. Mammalian cells like the CHO cell line are workhorses of bio-manufacturing, but when they accumulate misfolded proteins they trigger a stress response that can eventually kill them. Current commercial bioreactors lack sensors to detect this unfolding crisis, so manufacturers often discover cell death too late, wasting time and money. This project brings together Genenet Technology, CPI, and the University of Edinburgh to build a real-time monitoring system that uses AI to spot cellular stress as it happens. If successful, the system would allow manufacturers to intervene before cells die, boosting yields and cutting costs for products ranging from bioplastics to therapeutic proteins. This matters because bio-manufacturing is central to the shift away from fossil-fuel-based materials and toward sustainable production. The technology could quietly improve supply chains for everyday items like medical syringes and compostable packaging, without consumers ever noticing the change.
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Bioreactors have significantly been applied for biological research and manufacturing, such as bioplastic and biologics. The increasing use of bioplastic and biologics heralds a new era of production, where the specific use of AI prediction are rapidly tailored to advance manufacturing. However, current bioreactor on the market wouldnt provide inline examination of cell viability or support cell line adapting production related stress. Mammalian cells, e.g. CHO cell line are one of the most highly employed cell lines in bio-manufacturing. In CHO cells, the intracellular accumulation of misfolded and unfolded proteins in CHO cells triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR). Although immediate activation of this protective mechanism restores cell balance, UPR may trigger cell apoptosis under prolonged stress stimuli. Current commercial CHO cell lines lack environmental sensing elements for these cellular stresses. Chronic stress-induced apoptosis remains a pain point in CHO bio-manufacturing with limited solutions. To overcome this challenge, Genenet Technology, in collaboration with its subcontractors, CPI (Centre for Process Innovation) and The University of Edinburgh, is employing its proprietary AI technologies to develop a new bio-manufacturing tool that will demonstrate intelligent cellular response to bio-manufacturing stress and a real-time AI bioreactor monitoring system to improve bio-manufacturing yield. Therefore, unlike the current options, we can de-risk our client's innovation and operation process, reducing their financial burden.
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