Hamilton Launches GlucoSense, a First-of-Its-Kind, Real-Time, In Situ Glucose Sensor for Mammalian Cell Culture

BONADUZ, Switzerland, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Hamilton today announced the launch of GlucoSense, a breakthrough in bioprocess analytics that introduces the first reusable, in situ glucose sensor designed to deliver continuous, real-time measurements directly inside cell culture bioreactors. With this release, Hamilton is establishing an entirely new category of process sensors intended to make glucose control as routine and intuitive as measuring pH or dissolved oxygen.

GlucoSense is initially available for wetted autoclave workflows, supporting glass and benchtop bioreactors widely used in R&D and early process development. Hamilton is actively advancing the next phase of product development, and a SIP- and steam-compatible version for steel bioreactors — suitable for clinical and commercial manufacturing — is planned for release by the end of 2026.

“Bioprocessing teams have been asking for a simple, reliable way to measure glucose in situ for years,” said Giovanni Campolongo, Senior Market Segment Manager at Hamilton. “With GlucoSense, we’re giving customers real-time visibility into one of the most critical parameters in mammalian cell culture without the complexity, drift, or calibration burden that has limited previous technologies. And we’ve designed the product roadmap to support every step of the development lifecycle, from R&D to GMP manufacturing.”

A Simple, Robust Solution to a Long-Standing Analytical Gap

Glucose is one of the strongest influencers of cell metabolism, lactate formation, viability, and key quality attributes such as N-linked glycosylation. Yet most bioprocesses still rely on offline or at-line measurements performed once or twice per day, leaving transient glucose drops or spikes undetected. These short-lived events can meaningfully affect product quality, consistency, and overall process robustness.

GlucoSense eliminates this blind spot by providing continuous, in situ measurement using a compact, PG13.5-compatible optical probe engineered specifically for cell culture environments. Unlike Raman and NIR systems that rely on fragile fiber optics, GlucoSense is entirely fiber optic-free, a design choice that enables robust sterilization and supports its compatibility with repeated autoclave cycles. The sensor uses mid-infrared ATR spectroscopy tuned to glucose-specific absorption features, avoiding the chemometric model-building required for spectroscopic platforms. A single-use semi-permeable membrane creates a small measurement chamber that blocks cells and particulates from reaching the diamond ATR element, preventing fouling and delivering stable, drift-resistant data across long cultivation runs.

Each sensor ships with a factory characterization, requiring only a single in situ product calibration at inoculation to account for media background. Integrated Arc intelligent sensor technology stores calibration constants, diagnostics, and quality indicators in the sensor head, enabling seamless digital integration and GMP-ready documentation.

Validated in Partnership with FHNW

Performance data for GlucoSense were generated through Hamilton’s internal development program and through a dedicated collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), a globally recognized leader in bioprocess analytics. FHNW ran both fed-batch and perfusion CHO processes to evaluate sensor performance under real culture conditions.

In fed-batch experiments, GlucoSense operated continuously for roughly 130 hours, producing stable, drift-free glucose profiles that closely matched offline reference measurements. In high-density, three-week perfusion runs reaching up to 50 million cells/mL, the sensor delivered consistent real-time glucose values aligned with biomass growth, requiring only weekly product calibrations.

“The validation work with FHNW was essential,” added Campolongo. “Their independent data confirm that GlucoSense performs with the accuracy and stability customers expect and does so without the maintenance, consumables, or spectral modeling that have limited other technologies.”

A Transformative Step Toward Smarter, More Agile Bioprocessing

With GlucoSense, Hamilton is closing one of the last major analytical gaps in upstream processing and laying the foundation for true real-time glucose control across the bioproduction lifecycle. By providing a sensor-based solution that is easy to deploy, stable over time, and scalable across reactor formats, Hamilton is enabling teams to accelerate development, improve product consistency, and prepare their facilities for the increasingly data-driven future of biologics manufacturing.

As the industry advances toward intensified and continuous processing, and as automation, AI-driven optimization, and digital twins become standard, GlucoSense gives manufacturers the continuous nutrient data required to unlock those innovations. Hamilton’s continued development of a SIP-compatible version ensures that the same measurement strategy can span early R&D through large-scale GMP operations, supporting more connected, more robust, and more intelligent bioprocessing worldwide.

About Hamilton:

Hamilton is a leading global manufacturer, providing automated liquid handling workstations, laboratory automation technology, and process analytical sensors to the scientific community. With a focus on innovative design, the Hamilton product portfolio includes liquid handling platforms, standard application-based solutions, small devices, process sensors, consumables, and OEM liquid handling solutions.

Known for advancing the life science, clinical diagnostics, forensics, biotechnology and biopharma industries, Hamilton products offer reliability, performance, and flexibility. Hamilton utilizes state-of-the-art manufacturing at production facilities in Reno, Nevada, and Bonaduz, Switzerland as part of their continuous commitment to quality and has earned a global ISO 9001 certification. Privately held, Hamilton maintains headquarters in Reno, Nevada; Franklin, Massachusetts; and Bonaduz, Switzerland, along with subsidiary offices throughout the world.

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www.hamiltoncompany.com

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SOURCE Hamilton Company