An automated home-built low-cost fermenter suitable for large-scale bacterial expression of proteins in Escherichia coli. (August 2008)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Riek, Uwe; Tuerk, Roland; Wallimann, Theo; Schlattner, Uwe; Neumann, Dietbert
• Is Part Of: Biotechniques. Volume 45:Number 2(2008)
• Page Start: 187
• Page End: 189
• Publication Date: 2008-08
• Subjects: Biology, Experimental -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Medical technology -- Periodicals; Biology, Experimental; Medical technology; Molecular biology; Clinical Laboratory Techniques -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Medical Laboratory Science -- Periodicals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 570
• DOI: 10.2144/000112830
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0736-6205

Abstract

We have developed an automated fermentation system for cost-efficient upscaling of protein expression in bacteria. The system, built for use by nonbiotechnologists, can be assembled mostly from standard laboratory equipment and allows a largely unattended growth of bacteria to OD 25 (at 600 nm) in a 12 L vessel. The typical yield of 250–350 g of wet weight cell pellet per run, which is equivalent to the biomass obtained from 250 shake flask cultures containing 400 mL Luria-Broth medium each, facilitates the production of large amounts of purified recombinant protein without the laborious need for optimization of expression and purification conditions.