Versatile device for on-line and in-situ measurement of growth and light production of bioluminescent cells

In this paper, we present a new device composed of a biological part included in an original opto-electronic bioreactor described here in detail. It allows the simultaneous measurement of bioluminescence and optical density of a bioluminescent bacterial culture without any sampling. The cell density is measured through a laser diode and a photodiode by using a numerical synchronous detection and the bioluminescence with a photomultiplier. The experimental results are presented through the validation of the measurement principle using the Vibrio fischeri bacterium which was cultivated under continuous culture conditions. Very good correlation between manual and automatic measurements processed with the instrument has been demonstrated. The device could be applied to the realization of biosensors with any bioluminescent cells.