A modular hairy root culture device

Abstract

This invention provides a modular hairy root culture device, comprising multiple culture modules, a nutrient solution system, and an air intake system. Each culture module includes a culture container and a spray pipe. Multiple support sieves are installed within the culture chamber of the culture container, and hairy roots to be cultured are placed on the support sieves. The spray pipe is located within the culture chamber, and microporous atomizing nozzles are installed at the top of the culture chamber and on both sides of each support sieve. The culture container has an air inlet and an air outlet at its bottom and top, respectively, and the air inlet, culture chamber, and air outlet are sequentially connected. The nutrient solution system includes a material tank for storing nutrient solution and a dispensing pump, and the material tank, dispensing pump, and spray pipe are sequentially connected. The air intake system includes a fan connected to the air inlet, which supplies oxygen to the culture chamber. This modular hairy root culture device overcomes the shortcomings of existing culture devices that are unsuitable for hairy root culture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of hairy root culture devices, specifically to a modular hairy root culture device. Background Technology

[0002] Hairy roots are root-like structures induced by the integration of T-DNA from the Ri plasmid into the plant genome after infection of plant cells by Agrobacterium rhizogenes. These roots possess rapid proliferation capabilities, are genetically stable, and are non-directional. In terms of applications, they can be used to produce high-value secondary metabolites such as alkaloids and flavonoids. Their advantages lie in overcoming the limitations of traditional plant cultivation, such as long cultivation cycles, low product content, and soil pollution, providing an efficient and sustainable technological path for medicine, agriculture, and environmental protection.

[0003] Large-scale cultivation of hairy roots allows for precise control of culture medium composition, aeration, and temperature, further increasing the yield of the target product. Current methods utilize reactors similar to microbial fermentation for large-scale hairy root cultivation. In these devices, the hairy roots are completely submerged below the surface of the culture medium, and agitation and aeration provide them with nutrients and oxygen. However, this cultivation method has the following drawbacks: 1) It fails to meet the oxygen requirements of hairy roots; hairy root growth requires oxygen, and completely submerging them in the culture medium can easily lead to insufficient oxygen supply, which is not in line with the natural growth state of roots. 2) Agitation causes shear force damage; to increase nutrients and oxygen, high-speed agitation is required to mix the nutrient solution and hairy roots; however, the shear force generated by the agitator during high-speed agitation can damage the hairy roots. 3) High energy consumption; to address dissolved oxygen issues, a high-powered air compressor is needed for oxygen supply, resulting in high energy consumption and cost. 4) Bottlenecks in scaling up: After scaling up a bioreactor, the mixing of materials and dissolved oxygen will change significantly, making the optimized conditions of the small scale unsuitable for large-scale production. At the same time, the cost of scaling up the equipment is also high. Utility Model Content

[0004] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a modular hairy root culture device, which overcomes the defect that existing culture devices are not suitable for hairy root culture.

[0006] (II) Technical Solution

[0007] To solve the aforementioned technical problem, this utility model provides a modular hairy root culture device, comprising:

[0008] Multiple cultivation modules are provided, each including a cultivation container and a spray pipe installed within the cultivation container. The cultivation container has a cultivation chamber, within which multiple support sieves are installed at intervals along a vertical direction. Hairy roots to be cultivated are placed on the support sieves. The spray pipe is located within the cultivation chamber, and microporous atomizing nozzles are installed at the top of the cultivation chamber and on both sides of each support sieve. The cultivation container has an air inlet and an air outlet at its bottom and top, respectively, and the air inlet, the cultivation chamber, and the air outlet are sequentially connected.

[0009] The nutrient solution system includes a material tank for storing nutrient solution and a liquid pump; the material tank, the liquid pump and the liquid spraying pipeline are connected in sequence, and the liquid pump draws nutrient solution from the material tank and supplies it to the hairy roots through the microporous atomizing nozzle;

[0010] An air intake system includes a fan connected to the air intake, the fan being used to supply oxygen to the culture chamber.

[0011] In some embodiments, a control system is also included, the control system including a controller, and the liquid pump and the blower are electrically connected to the controller, respectively.

[0012] In some embodiments, a temperature sensor is mounted on the top of the culture container and is electrically connected to the controller.

[0013] In some embodiments, a flow meter is connected in series between the liquid pump and the liquid spraying pipeline, and the flow meter is electrically connected to the controller.

[0014] In some embodiments, a first sterilization filter membrane is connected in series between the fan and the air inlet, and a second sterilization filter membrane is connected in series outside the air outlet.

[0015] In some embodiments, a feed inlet is provided on the side wall of the culture container, and the liquid spraying pipeline is connected to the feed inlet; quick-release connectors connected to the corresponding pipelines are respectively installed at the air inlet, the air outlet and the feed inlet.

[0016] In some embodiments, the microporous atomizing nozzle has a plurality of nozzles evenly distributed, and the diameter of the nozzle is 0.2±0.05mm; in the microporous atomizing nozzles located on the side, the distance between two adjacent microporous atomizing nozzles is less than 30cm.

[0017] In some embodiments, the controller includes a touch screen, a programmable time control module, and an alarm module, wherein the alarm module is used to issue an alarm when parameters are abnormal.

[0018] In some embodiments, the liquid pump is a variable frequency diaphragm pump, and the fan is a variable frequency brushless fan.

[0019] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects that at least one technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this specification can achieve include at least:

[0021] 1) Optimize the oxygen supply method to meet the growth requirements of hairy roots; by setting air inlets at the bottom and air outlets at the top of the culture container, and combining multiple supporting sieve plates to place hairy roots in layers, air can circulate naturally in the culture chamber, providing sufficient oxygen for the hairy roots. This avoids the problem of insufficient oxygen supply caused by the hairy roots being completely submerged in the culture solution, and is more in line with the oxygen requirements of the natural growth state of hairy roots. Unlike the traditional method of increasing dissolved oxygen by stirring, this device uses a fan to provide oxygen through natural ventilation, without the need for high-speed stirring. This avoids the damage to the hairy roots caused by the shear force of the stirring paddle, ensuring the integrity of the hairy roots and promoting their normal growth.

[0022] 2) Precise nutrient solution supply improves nutrient solution utilization and cultivation effect; the spray pipeline is equipped with microporous atomizing nozzles on the top of the cultivation chamber and on both sides of each supporting sieve plate, which can spray the nutrient solution evenly on the hairy roots in the form of atomization, achieving precise nutrient solution supply and ensuring that all parts of the hairy roots can fully obtain nutrients, avoiding the problem of uneven local nutrition in traditional immersion culture, and helping to improve the yield of the target product; the flow meter is connected in series between the liquid pump and the spray pipeline, and the flow meter is electrically connected to the controller, which can accurately measure the supply of nutrient solution, and work with the control system to achieve precise control of the nutrient solution supply to meet the nutritional needs of hairy roots at different growth stages.

[0023] 3) Energy saving and cost reduction: The use of fans for oxygen supply significantly reduces energy consumption compared to the high-power air compressors used in traditional cultivation methods to solve dissolved oxygen problems. This effectively reduces energy consumption during the cultivation process and lowers production costs. The liquid addition pump uses a variable frequency diaphragm pump, and the fan uses a variable frequency brushless fan. The power can be adjusted according to actual cultivation needs to further optimize energy utilization efficiency and achieve energy saving and cost reduction.

[0024] 4) The modular design makes the culture conditions of each culture module relatively independent and easy to control. There is no need to consider issues such as material mixing and dissolved oxygen mixing during scale-up. The standardized units support scale expansion and are suitable for seamless scale-up from laboratory to industrial. The modular design, combined with quick-release interfaces, facilitates the assembly, expansion and maintenance of the equipment. Compared with the high equipment investment required for scale-up of traditional bioreactors, this device has lower costs and is more economically feasible during the scale-up process. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a simplified structural diagram of a modular hairy root culture device according to this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a simplified structural diagram of the culture module in a modular hairy root culture device of this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the connection between the air intake system and the culture module in a modular hairy root culture device of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the connection between the nutrient solution system and the culture module in a modular hairy root culture device of this utility model;

[0030] The component names corresponding to the various labels in the figure are as follows: 1. Culture module; 11. Culture container; 111. Culture chamber; 112. Air inlet; 113. Air outlet; 114. Feed inlet; 12. Spray pipe; 13. Support sieve plate; 14. Microporous atomizing nozzle; 15. Temperature sensor; 2. Nutrient solution system; 21. Material tank; 22. Liquid pump; 23. Flow meter; 3. Air intake system; 31. Fan; 32. First sterilization filter membrane; 33. Second sterilization filter membrane; 4. Control system; 41. Controller. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0033] It should be noted that various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0034] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The illustrations only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of the components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0035] Additionally, specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, those skilled in the art will understand that practice can be carried out without these specific details.

[0036] Combination Figures 1-4 As shown, this utility model provides a modular hairy root culture device, including multiple culture modules 1, a nutrient solution system 2, and an air intake system 3.

[0037] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cultivation module 1 includes a cultivation container 11 and a spray pipe 12 installed inside the cultivation container 11. The cultivation container 11 can be made of stainless steel or acrylic material, and its volume can be 500mL to 500L. The cultivation container 11 is cylindrical in shape, and its interior has a cultivation chamber 111. Multiple support sieve plates 13 are installed vertically at intervals inside the cultivation chamber 111. The support sieve plates 13 are porous circular plates, and the hairy roots to be cultivated are placed on the support sieve plates 13. The spray pipe 12 is located inside the cultivation chamber 111, and microporous atomizing nozzles 14 are installed on the top of the cultivation chamber 111 and on both sides of each support sieve plate 13. The cultivation container 11 has an air inlet 112 and an air outlet 113 at the bottom and top, respectively, and the air inlet 112, the cultivation chamber 111, and the air outlet 113 are connected in sequence.

[0038] See Figure 1 and Figure 4The nutrient solution system 2 includes a material tank 21 for storing nutrient solution and a liquid dispensing pump 22. The nutrient solution is existing technology and will not be described in detail in this embodiment. The material tank 21, the liquid dispensing pump 22, and the spray pipe 12 are connected in sequence by pipes. The liquid dispensing pump 22 can draw the nutrient solution in the material tank 21 and supply it to the hairy roots through the microporous atomizing nozzle 14.

[0039] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 The air intake system 3 includes a fan 31 connected to the air intake 112 via a pipeline, and the fan 31 is used to supply oxygen to the culture chamber 111.

[0040] This modular hairy root culture device utilizes an air inlet at the bottom and an air outlet at the top of the culture container, combined with a design that allows hairy roots to be placed in layers on multiple support sieves. This design enables natural air circulation within the culture chamber, providing ample oxygen to the hairy roots and avoiding the oxygen deficiency problem caused by the roots being completely submerged in the culture solution. This design better matches the oxygen requirements of hairy roots during their natural growth. Unlike traditional methods that increase dissolved oxygen through stirring, this device uses a fan for natural ventilation and oxygen supply, eliminating the need for high-speed stirring. This avoids damage to the hairy roots caused by the shear force of the stirring paddle, ensuring the integrity of the roots and promoting their normal growth. Microporous atomizing nozzles are installed at the top of the culture chamber and on both sides of each support sieve, allowing for the even spraying of nutrient solution onto the hairy roots in a mist form. This precise nutrient supply ensures that all parts of the hairy roots receive sufficient nutrients, avoiding the uneven nutrient distribution problem found in traditional submerged culture and contributing to increased yield of the target product. Oxygen is supplied by fans, which significantly reduces energy consumption compared to the high-power air compressors used in traditional cultivation methods to address dissolved oxygen issues. This effectively reduces energy consumption during the cultivation process and lowers production costs. The modular design allows for relatively independent and easily controllable cultivation conditions for each module, while standardized units support scalability, making it suitable for seamless scale-up from laboratory to industrial applications.

[0041] This modular hairy root culture device, in addition to assembling multiple culture modules in one system, also consists of a single system and multiple modules (systems) that can be connected in parallel, allowing for expansion of the culture scale according to actual needs.

[0042] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the modular hairy root culture device also includes a control system 4, which includes a controller 41, a nutrient solution pump 22, and a fan 31, all electrically connected to the controller 41. The controller 41 is existing technology and will not be described further in this embodiment. A temperature sensor 15 is installed on the top of the culture container 11 and is electrically connected to the controller 41. The temperature sensor 15 is used to detect the temperature inside the culture chamber 111. A flow meter 23 is connected in series between the nutrient solution pump 22 and the spray pipe 12, and is electrically connected to the controller 41. This structure, with the flow meter connected in series between the nutrient solution pump and the spray pipe, and the flow meter electrically connected to the controller, allows for precise measurement of the nutrient solution supply. Combined with the control system, this enables precise regulation of the nutrient solution supply, meeting the nutritional needs of hairy roots at different growth stages.

[0043] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a first sterilizing filter membrane 32 is connected in series in the pipeline between the fan 31 and the air inlet 112, and a second sterilizing filter membrane 33 is connected in series outside the air outlet 113. For structural simplicity, the first sterilizing filter membrane 32 and the second sterilizing filter membrane 33 have identical structures. This structure, with two sterilizing filter membranes, effectively prevents external microorganisms from entering the culture chamber, while also avoiding environmental contamination by microorganisms generated during the culture process. This ensures the environment required for hairy root culture and promotes healthy hairy root growth.

[0044] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a feed inlet 114 is provided on the side wall of the culture container 11, and the liquid spraying pipeline 12 is connected to the feed inlet 114. Quick-release connectors for connecting to the corresponding pipelines are installed at the air inlet 112, air outlet 113, and feed inlet 114. These quick-release connectors can be quick-connect, quick-tighten, or double-compression fittings, etc. Using quick-release connectors facilitates rapid assembly and disassembly of the connectors and corresponding pipelines, simplifying assembly and disassembly, saving module assembly time, and promoting modular assembly. This structure, with its modular design and quick-release interfaces, facilitates the assembly, expansion, and maintenance of the equipment. Compared to the high equipment investment required for traditional bioreactor scale-up, this device has lower costs and is more economically feasible during large-scale scale-up.

[0045] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the micro-orifice atomizing nozzle 14 has multiple nozzles evenly distributed on it, and the diameter of the nozzle is 0.2±0.05mm. In the micro-orifice atomizing nozzle 14 located on the side, the distance between two adjacent micro-orifice atomizing nozzles 14 is less than 30cm to ensure uniform coverage.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the controller 41 includes a touch screen, a programmable time control module, and an alarm module. The alarm module is used to issue an alarm when parameters are abnormal. The controller of the control system integrates a touch screen, a programmable time control module, and an alarm module. The touch screen allows operators to intuitively set and monitor culture parameters; the programmable time control module enables timed operation of the culture process, achieving automatic control; the alarm module promptly alerts when parameters are abnormal, facilitating timely adjustments by operators and ensuring the smooth progress of the culture process. Abnormal parameters include temperature variations and aeration rate variations. The programmable time control module has a minimum time unit of 1 minute and supports switching between pulse-type liquid supply (frequency 1-100 times / day) and continuous drip irrigation (flow rate 0.1-10 mL / min) modes.

[0047] In some embodiments, the liquid addition pump 22 is a variable frequency diaphragm pump, which atomizes liquid droplets with a particle size of 10-50μm; the fan 31 is a variable frequency brushless fan. In this structure, the liquid addition pump is a variable frequency diaphragm pump and the fan is a variable frequency brushless fan, which can adjust the power according to the actual cultivation needs, further optimize energy utilization efficiency, and achieve energy saving and consumption reduction.

[0048] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the descriptions of the embodiments described later are relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the foregoing embodiments.

[0049] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A modular hairy root culture device, characterized in that, include: Multiple culture modules (1) are provided, each culture module (1) including a culture container (11) and a spray pipe (12) installed inside the culture container (11); the culture container (11) has a culture chamber (111) inside, and multiple support sieves (13) are installed at intervals along the vertical direction in the culture chamber (111), and hairy roots to be cultured are placed on the support sieves (13); the spray pipe (12) is located in the culture chamber (111), and microporous atomizing nozzles (14) are respectively installed on the top of the culture chamber (111) and on both sides of each support sieve (13); the culture container (11) is provided with an air inlet (112) and an air outlet (113) at the bottom and top respectively, and the air inlet (112), the culture chamber (111) and the air outlet (113) are connected in sequence; The nutrient solution system (2) includes a material tank (21) for storing nutrient solution and a liquid pump (22); the material tank (21), the liquid pump (22) and the liquid spraying pipeline (12) are connected in sequence, and the liquid pump (22) draws the nutrient solution in the material tank (21) and supplies the solution to the hairy roots through the microporous atomizing nozzle (14); The air intake system (3) includes a fan (31) connected to the air inlet (112) for supplying oxygen to the culture chamber (111).

2. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a control system (4), which includes a controller (41), and the liquid pump (22) and the fan (31) are electrically connected to the controller (41).

3. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A temperature sensor (15) is installed on the top of the culture container (11), and the temperature sensor (15) is electrically connected to the controller (41).

4. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A flow meter (23) is connected in series between the liquid pump (22) and the liquid spraying pipeline (12), and the flow meter (23) is electrically connected to the controller (41).

5. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first sterilization filter membrane (32) is connected in series between the fan (31) and the air inlet (112), and a second sterilization filter membrane (33) is connected in series outside the air outlet (113).

6. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The culture container (11) is provided with a feed inlet (114) on its side wall, and the liquid spraying pipeline (12) is connected to the feed inlet (114); quick-release connectors connected to the corresponding pipelines are respectively installed at the air inlet (112), the air outlet (113) and the feed inlet (114).

7. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microporous atomizing nozzle (14) has multiple nozzles evenly distributed on it, and the diameter of the nozzle is 0.2±0.05mm; the distance between two adjacent microporous atomizing nozzles (14) located on the side is less than 30cm.

8. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The controller (41) includes a touch screen, a programmable time control module and an alarm module, the alarm module being used to issue an alarm when parameters are abnormal.

9. The modular hairy root culture device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid pump (22) is a variable frequency diaphragm pump, and the fan (31) is a variable frequency brushless fan.

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