CO2 supplementation eliminates sugar-rich media requirement for plant propagation using a simple inexpensive temporary immersion photobioreactor

Abstract In vitro plant propagation systems such as temporary immersion bioreactors (TIBs) are valuable tools that enable production of disease-free plants with improved traits. However, TIB can be expensive, difficult to implement, and prone contamination due sugar rich media. Using rapidly growing chicory root cultures expedite design-build-test cycles, we report here an improved, low-cost version a previously reported Hydrostatically-driven (Hy-TIB) facilitates economical use gas mixtures. Bioreactor improvements include decreased material costs, expanded modes operation, horizontal orientation plastic film growth chambers increase propagule light exposure. To take advantage these improvements, describe experiments evaluate the impacts elevated CO 2 on cacao ( Theobroma ) secondary embryos nodal yam Dioscorea spp.) during both phototrophic photomixotrophic growth. Our show significantly development eliminated need for supplemental sugars in tissue culture Thus, our Hy-TIB shows potential simple, low-cost, scalable platform cost-effective composition control reduced risk overgrowth. We provide detailed instructions assembly this design discuss implications its adoption food-insecure regions world.