At-line determination of formaldehyde in bioprocesses by sequential injection analysis

A sequential injection analysis (SIA) method for the at-line determination of formaldehyde in a cultivation process of Pichia pastoris is presented. A genetically modified yeast strain was used for cultivation processes wherein methanol feed induced the production of the recombinant protein 1-3del I-TAC. Recurring measurements of culture medium, its blank and including standard addition were performed with Nash reagent using an automated syringe device and photometric detection. The apparatus was coupled via a laboratory-made flow-through adapter to a continuous filtered and cell-medium flow from the bioreactor. At-line monitoring of formaldehyde was performed at two cultivations, each of 250 h during fed-batch phases with glycerol and methanol as carbon sources. High reliability, robustness and reproducibility of the method, the software and the instrumentation as well as the high selectivity of the reaction were demonstrated.