Development of a micro reactor platform for catalyzed cascading reactions

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Nils Tippkötter
• Subject Area: Biological Process Engineering
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 252120979

Due to the high variability of parameters, the optimization of complex reaction setups is one of the great challenges of current reaction research and development. Current processes for reaction screening and optimization base on automated liquid handling and microfluidic systems. The herefore necessary reaction platforms (chips of microwell plates) have to be prepared under high effort and can only be used for specific applications.The new approach of compartmentalizing the (bio-)chemical reactant solutions in micro reactors with a protective hydrophobic shell offers a universal and modular solution for the production of biotechnological compounds. By enhancing the shells with magnetizable materials, several micro reactors can be randomly moved on a surface by magnetic field gradients. This way, different reactors can interact and their core contents brought into reaction. Furthermore, the precise positioning of the micro reactors on top of surface bound catalysts or affinity ligands os possible.The corresponding actuation platform will be set up of a matrix of permanent magnets that are vertically movable. By coordinated vertical movement and positioning of the matrix, several field gradients can be generated and thus micro reactors simultaneously be moved on the platform at once. This facilitates an automated reaction principle, as magnetic micro reactors can be parked over surface-immobilized enzymes. Furthermore, fusion of two moving micro reactors through collision is possible. The new platform technology development supersedes conventional pre-assembly of microfluidic systems. The almost arbitrary applicability of the micro reactors as carriers facilitates an universal concept parallel reaction studies and can even be used for cell free production systems.Aims of the project are the reproducible optimized synthesis of the magnetizable hydrophobic micro reactors, the construction of an actuator platform capable of generating several simultaneous magnetic field gradients and the application of this system in an exemplary enzyme catalyzed cascading reaction. Principle research aims at the diffusion influence on reactions taking place inside the small compartments and surface interactions of the superhydrophibic shell system.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants