In situ capacitance sensing is shown to be capable of monitoring critical morphological changes in industrial cultures by analyzing the sensor’s frequency spectrum. Scanning the frequency of an alternating current between the electrodes of a capacitance sensor, placed in a cell culture, allowed detection of the size change of microbial cells from shifts in the spectra. The frequency was scanned between 0.1 to 15 MHz and cell size was measured from 1 to 20 µm. The analysis of the spectra was verified with two recombinant strains, one producing human insulin and another Green Fluorescence Protein (GFP). Both the insulin and GFP cultivations were carried out in 6 L fed-batch bioreactors using typical industrial procedures. The spectral analysis provided critical information about the changes in the size of the cells. It is suggested that this information may have high relevance for a better assessment of the state of cultivations producing proteins, for optimization and for improving the economy of large-scale biopharmaceutical production.

原位通过分析传感器的频谱，电容传感技术能够监测工业文化中的关键形态变化。扫描置于细胞培养物中的电容传感器的电极之间的交流电频率，可以根据光谱的变化检测微生物细胞的大小变化。在0.1至15 MHz之间扫描频率，并从1至20 µm测量单元尺寸。用两种重组菌株验证了光谱分析，一种菌株产生人胰岛素，另一种产生绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）。胰岛素和GFP的培养均使用典型的工业程序在6 L分批补料生物反应器中进行。光谱分析提供了有关细胞大小变化的关键信息。