Bioreactor and method for cultivating biological cells on substrate filaments

A method for processing biological cells in a bioreactor configured for culturing biological cells, said bioreactor comprising:

• a container comprising a container wall closed on all sides, and
• a plurality of light guides which are optical fibers arranged in the container, extend in an axial direction of the container, and are configured for temporary adherent coupling of the biological cells to the light guides,
• wherein the light guides are provided with a surface layer comprising a polymer of arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) with a (4-[(4aminophenyl)azo]benzocarbonyl) (APABA) linker, which is switchable in response to light between an adherence state, in which the biological cells can be coupled to the surface layer in an adherent manner, and a release state, in which the adherent coupling of the biological cells to the surface layer is reduced compared to the adherence state,
• said method comprising the steps of:
• introducing a culture medium and the biological cells into the container,
• connecting the light guides to a switching light source device,
• setting the adherence state of the light guides by switching-on an illumination of the surface layer out of the light guides,
• adherently coupling the biological cells to the light guides,
• culturing the adherently coupled biological cells,
• setting the release state of the light guides by switching-off the illumination of the surface layer out of the light guides, and
• detaching the biological cells from the light guides.