Bioreactors including enzyme-embedded multicomponent polymers

• US 10,202,567 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Stolaroff, Joshuah K., Aines, Roger, Baker, Sarah, Blanchette, Craig D., Maiti, Amitesh, Vericella, John, Oakdale, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claytor, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fernandez, Susan E.
• Application Number:
  US15/003,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20170211026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/18 Apparatus specially designed for the use of free, immobilized or carrier-bound enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 23/24 Gas permeable parts
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/04 entrapped within the carrier, e.g. gel or hollow fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/087 Acrylic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/089 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds

Abstract

According to one general embodiment, a membrane, includes a polymeric network configured to separate a first fluid and a second fluid, where the first and second fluids are different; and a plurality of enzymatic reactive components embedded within the polymeric network. According to another embodiment, a bioreactor includes a lattice of three dimensional structures, each structure including a membrane having: a polymeric network configured to separate a first fluid and a second fluid, where the first and second fluids are different; and a plurality of enzymatic reactive components embedded within the polymeric network.

Claims

1. A membrane, comprising:

a polymeric network configured to separate a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein the first and second fluids are different, wherein the polymeric network comprises a block copolymer network comprising at least two different polymers; and

a plurality of enzymatic reactive components embedded within the polymeric network, wherein at least some of the enzymatic reactive components are embedded within the polymeric network via a lipopolymer;

wherein the membrane is characterized by a multi-layer structure comprising;

a reactant-permeable layer permeable to one or more reactants of a catalytic reaction the enzymatic reactive components are configured to facilitate, and impermeable to one or more products of the catalytic reaction;

a product-permeable layer permeable to the one or more products of the catalytic reaction and impermeable to the one or more reactants of the catalytic reaction; and

an intermediate layer comprising the polymeric network, the intermediate layer positioned between the product-permeable layer and the reactant-permeable layer.

2. The membrane as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of enzymatic reactive components comprises one or more liposomes coupled to an enzyme.

3. The membrane as recited in claim 1, wherein the reactant-permeable layer comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of:

poly(ethylene imine), poly(ether ketone), cellulose acetate, and polypropylene; and

wherein the product-permeable layer comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of;

poly(ethylene imine), poly(ether ketone), cellulose acetate, and polypropylene.

4. The membrane as recited in claim 1, wherein the reactant-permeable layer has a thickness in a range from about 0.1 micrometers to about 50micrometers;

wherein the product-permeable layer has a thickness in a range from about 0.1micrometers to about 50 micrometers;

wherein the intermediate layer is characterized by a thickness in a range from about 1micrometer to about 2 millimeters; and

wherein the membrane has a total thickness in a range from about 10 micrometers to about 3.1 millimeters.

5. The membrane as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of enzymatic reactive components comprise from about 35% to about 70% of a mass of the polymer network.

6. The membrane as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second fluids are respectively a gas and a liquid.

7. The membrane as recited in claim 1, wherein the polymeric network comprises at least one hydrophobic polymer material and at least one hydrophilic polymer material.

10. A bioreactor, comprising:

a lattice of three dimensional structures, each three-dimensional structure comprising a membrane as recited in claim 1.

11. The bioreactor as recited in claim 10, wherein each three dimensional structure is a hollow tube having a diameter in a range from about 100 micrometers to about 10millimeters;

wherein the lattice is characterized by a porosity of 50%; and

wherein walls of the hollow tube comprise the membrane.

12. The bioreactor as recited in claim 10, wherein the lattice is characterized by a surface area to volume ratio in a range from 1.47:

1 to 2.33;

1.

13. The bioreactor as recited in claim 10, wherein the first and second fluids are respectively a gas and a liquid.

14. The bioreactor of claim 10, wherein the lattice comprises a plurality of layers;

wherein at least one of the plurality of layers of the lattice is characterized by a non-uniform spacing between a plurality of three dimensional structures thereof; and

wherein a spacing between three dimensional structures of at least one of the plurality of layers is different than a spacing between the three dimensional structures of at least one other of the plurality of layers.

15. The bioreactor of claim 10, wherein the lattice comprises a plurality of layers:

wherein at least one of the plurality of layers of the lattice is characterized by a uniform spacing between the three dimensional structures thereof; and

wherein a spacing between the three dimensional structures of at least one of the plurality of layers is different than a spacing between the three dimensional structures of at least one other of the plurality of layers.

16. The bioreactor of claim 10, wherein the lattice further comprises a plurality of polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) struts arranged in a three-dimensional matrix characterized by a strut spacing of 250 micrometers.

17. The bioreactor of claim 10, wherein the lattice is a cubic lattice;

wherein the three dimensional structures define open channels of the cubic lattice; and

wherein the cubic lattice is characterized by a spacing of 100 micrometers between the three dimensional structures thereof.

18. A method for forming the bioreactor as recited in claim 10, the method comprising:

forming the lattice of three dimensional structures via microstereolithography.

8. A membrane, comprising:

a polymeric network configured to separate a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein the first and second fluids are different, and wherein the polymeric network comprises a plurality of hollow tubes each characterized by a surface area to volume ratio in a range from about 1.47;

1 to about 2.33;

1; and

a plurality of enzymatic reactive components embedded within the polymeric network;

wherein the membrane is characterized by a multi-layer structure comprising;

a reactant-permeable layer permeable to one or more reactants of a catalytic reaction the enzymatic reactive components are configured to facilitate, and impermeable to one or more products of the catalytic reaction;

a product-permeable layer permeable to the one or more products of the catalytic reaction and impermeable to the one or more reactants of the catalytic reaction; and

an intermediate layer comprising the polymeric network, the intermediate layer positioned between the product-permeable layer and the reactant-permeable layer.

9. A membrane, comprising:

a polymeric network configured to separate a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein the first and second fluids are different; and

a plurality of enzymatic reactive components embedded within the polymeric network;

wherein the membrane is selected from the group consisting of;

a microcapsule membrane, and a spiral wound membrane; and

wherein the membrane is characterized by a multi-layer structure comprising;

a reactant-permeable layer permeable to one or more reactants of a catalytic reaction the enzymatic reactive components are configured to facilitate, and impermeable to one or more products of the catalytic reaction;

a product-permeable layer permeable to the one or more products of the catalytic reaction and impermeable to the one or more reactants of the catalytic reaction; and

an intermediate layer comprising the polymeric network, the intermediate layer positioned between the product-permeable layer and the reactant-permeable layer.