MIT researchers have developed a cutting-edge method to cleanly and efficiently detach living cells from surfaces. It could make everything from carbon capture to medical developments faster and cleaner, according to MIT News.
The new research uses electrochemically generated bubbles to lift cells off surfaces. In industries like carbon capture, pharmaceuticals, and biofuel production, sticky cells can slow progress, cause significant waste, and make cleaning bioreactors time-consuming and expensive.
For example, in carbon capture, algae and other microorganisms can absorb carbon dioxide hundreds of times more efficiently than trees, but only with clean growth systems. Once the cells stick to the walls of tubes or tanks, the process begins to slow down.
In a new study published in Science Advances, researchers demonstrated that their breakthrough detaching approach could work across a range of cells and surfaces, improving the efficiency of various bio-systems without harming the cells, making it a potentially crucial development in sustainable technology.
"We wanted to develop a technology that could be high-throughput and plug-and-play, and that would allow cells to attach and detach on demand to improve the workflow in these industrial processes," said professor Kripa Varanasi, senior author of the study. "This is a fundamental issue with cells, and we've solved it with a process that can scale. It lends itself to many different applications."
Unlike traditional removal methods of cell detachment that vary greatly by industry and rely on enzymes, clean-in-place fermentation, or mechanical scraping, which can damage cells and create millions of pounds of biowaste, the new method uses only forces from tiny rising bubbles. These bubbles create small fluid flows that gently sweep the cells away from surfaces.
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The technology's greatest promise lies in its scalability across industries, from food production to medical implants. The researchers envision their system integrated directly into algae-based carbon capture photobioreactors or lifesaving gene and cell therapies from mammalian cell culturing, where a robotically movable electrode could detach cells without toxic cleaners (like bleach) or extensive downtime.
This research could lead to a reality with cleaner air and cooler climates that result in fewer extreme weather events, disease spread, and habitat loss, as accelerated carbon capture and other applicable technologies could help move us into a healthier future.
"The burning problem of our time is to somehow capture CO2 in a way that's economically feasible," Varanasi said. "These photobioreactors could be used for that, but we have to overcome the cell adhesion problem."
The researchers are continuing to refine the process for larger systems. If scaled successfully and economically, this research could help industries capture more carbon, produce more efficient medicine, and reduce waste, all powered by tiny bubbles.
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