Francheska is a member of the Honors College and a McNair Scholar. Pictured with Dr. Venkatesh Srinivasan and Garima Sharma, research mentors in Dr. Govind Rao's lab at the URCAD poster session.
Title: Automated Monitoring Sensors for Process Analytical Technology Applications in Cell and Gene Therapy
Presenter: Francheska Burrola, Yunqian Wei, Anna Samuel, Garima Sharma, Michael Tolosa, Mohan Tulapurkar, Abhay Andar, University of Maryland Baltimore, 2ATCC
Mentors: Venkatesh Srinivasan, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering; Govind Rao, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Cell and gene therapies have the potential to treat cancer, genetic disorders, and other life-threatening diseases, yet their high cost and manufacturing variability limit patient access. A major challenge is the lack of real-time monitoring of key metabolic variables in static cell culture systems. Dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved carbon dioxide (dCO2), and glucose regulate cellular respiration and metabolic balance, but static G-Rex workflows typically rely on incubator setpoints and intermittent off-line sampling, offering limited insight into dynamic culture behavior. To address this gap, we evaluated 10 to 12-day human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell cultures in static G-Rex systems to assess the feasibility of continuous DO and dCO2 monitoring under production-relevant conditions. HEK cells were selected as a model system due to their well-characterized metabolic and respiratory profiles. Using real-time DO sensors and a rate-based approach to estimate dCO2, we demonstrated proof-of-concept for continuous, 24/7 monitoring over extended culture durations. Continuous monitoring provided more detailed insight into culture dynamics than traditional methods. These findings support integration of process analytical technology strategies into static G-Rex workflows, enabling greater automation, improved process consistency, and more informative batch records to support regulatory review and scalable, affordable manufacturing.
Save the date for URCAD 31:
April 28, 2027
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