Sartorius AG (Germany) - Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB), a leading international partner of the biopharmaceutical industry, is introducing its new generation of ambr® 15 cell culture automated microbioreactor system. The Generation 2 is the successor to the well-established ambr® 15 cell culture system, proven in the industry to significantly reduce cell line development timelines and increase lab productivity. The new system offers increased flexibility and expanded capability for clone selection, media and feed optimization and early process development work.

The ambr® 15 cell culture Generation 2, based on SSB’s gold-standard ambr® technology, replicates laboratory-scale bioreactor performance at the microscale (10-15 mL) and controls up to 48 single-use bioreactor cultures in parallel. Its new design incorporates novel features to provide greater process flexibility, expands the system’s functionality and allows more applications to be investigated. In addition, a new ambr® clone selection software, included as a one-year license, provides simplified, streamlined multivariate data analysis for faster, more consistent cell line screening and ranking.

Selection of clones, media and feeds can be performed under perfusion mimic conditions using new functionality to bleed large volumes of culture and quickly remove spent media from the ambr® 15 microbioreactors. A new flexible workstation layout and an expanded tip bin capacity provide greater operator walk-away time.

Adaptation of cell lines to different media for media screening studies can be performed in ambr® 15 microbioreactors using new culture passage steps and rapid vessel drain functionality. New media mixing steps automate the creation of media blends, eliminating the need to pre-mix, saving time and reducing chance of error. Clone stability studies can also be set up with serial passages performed and fully automated in the microbioreactors.

Cell & Gene therapy applications are supported by the new design features that include rapid vessel drain functionality for automated cell passaging and media exchanges in the microbioreactors. New culture station design provides lower stirrer speed control suitable for more sensitive cell lines. The ambr® 15 cell culture Generation 2 system provides a robust screening platform for development of Cell & Gene therapy processes including HEK293 for viral vector production, T-cells, iPSCs and other immune-derived cell lines.

“As biotherapeutics become more complex and processes more intensified, scientists are facing bigger challenges in selecting and optimizing their clones, media and processes. We are delighted to launch the new generation of our ambr® 15 cell culture system in response to these needs, helping researchers to do more, yet visit their system less,” comments Alison Rees-Manley, ambr® 15 Product Manager at Sartorius Stedim Biotech. “We look forward to welcoming scientists to Booth 40 at ESACT in Copenhagen (May 5–8, 2019), where they can discover how having the new ambr® 15 Generation 2 in their lab could significantly improve their workflow, as well as extend their application and process capabilities,” she adds.

• New design for improved clone selection as well as media and feed optimization in fed-batch and perfusion mimic conditions
• System supports Cell & Gene therapy applications, including HEK293 for viral vector production, T-cells, iPSCs and other immune-derived cell lines
• Official launch at the ESACT Conference in Copenhagen (May 5–8, 2019)