How  the BioLector XT Microbioreactor and Biomek Liquid Handler solutions are transforming precision fermentation

Could you briefly introduce Illinois Advanced Research Center at Singapore Ltd — its positioning in the industry and the vision that drives your work?

Illinois Advanced Research Center at Singapore Ltd. (Illinois ARCS) is an affiliated Singapore company of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with its research center led by Illinois faculty and a Singapore-based research and administrative team. Its core research programs are supported by the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore, under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) program, and the Singapore Food Agency, a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. The Precision Fermentation and Sustainability (PreFerS) program supports Singapore’s 2035 food resilience strategy by addressing micronutrient gaps through precision fermentation. The research focuses on microbial cell engineering and bioprocess engineering to advance resilient, urban-ready food systems.

Compared to others in the same field, what unique research expertise and service strengths does your organization offer?

Our program harnesses naturally safe microbes to create nutritious food ingredients, including proteins and essential nutrients. By combining advances in biology with innovative food-making technologies, we can produce food more efficiently, reduce waste, and turn previously unusable materials into safe, high-quality, and healthy products for a growing urban population.

Could you please briefly describe your main research, application, and sample?

Our program uses food-safe microbes as engineered cell factories to produce high-value proteins and essential micronutrients. This work is supported by standard biochemistry and synthetic biology tools, including incubator-shakers, thermal cyclers, biological safety cabinets, centrifuges, and bioreactors. To analyze and validate our products, we use advanced analytical equipment such as mass spectrometers and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems.

Before implementing the BioLector system and automation solutions, what did your previous workflow look like? Could you describe some of the challenges or limitations you faced?

Our previous workflow relied on standard culture tubes, flasks, and 24-, 48-, and 96-well deep-well plates for medium-throughput cultivation. Incubation had to be interrupted for manual sampling and analysis, which prevented continuous monitoring of microbial growth. As a result, we were also unable to track pH changes and cellular respiration in real time during culture.

Among the many available technologies, what led you to choose the BioLector XT Microbioreactor from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences? How has it improved your experimental capabilities and outcomes?

The BioLector XT system enables parallel microbioreactor experiments with real-time monitoring of cell growth, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Using a 32-well microfluidic plate, it supports batch feeding and active pH control during cultivation. This provides a powerful platform for controlled, high-resolution microbial fermentation studies.

I noticed you have a BioLector XT Microbioreactor and Biomek i5 Liquid Handler Integration in your lab. What motivated this step toward automation, and what are your goals for this enhanced setup?

We aim to actively sample cultures for analyses beyond cell growth, pH, and dissolved oxygen. In addition, we need the ability to add temperature-sensitive components during cultivation, as these materials may degrade if held in the plate for extended periods.

Congratulations on the upgrade! Looking ahead, what’s your vision for the future of your laboratory, and how will our technology support that journey?

We plan to establish the integrated BioLector XT Microbioreactor and Biomek i5 Liquid Handler system as a core platform for microbial fermentation development. This system will enable a seamless and scalable transition from tube- and flask-based cultures to bioreactor-level processes, improving experimental throughput, reproducibility, and data quality while accelerating fermentation development.