Scientific posterPDF
Cell culture
Cell culture, a cornerstone of bioprocessing, allows for the controlled growth and maintenance of cells outside their natural environments. This technique underpins advancements across multiple sectors, from studying cellular processes and developing new drugs in life sciences to creating alternative proteins in food technology. It also plays a crucial role in agricultural innovation and environmental research. Specialized equipment, such as bioreactors and incubation shakers, supports the diverse applications of cell culture, enabling researchers and manufacturers to advance their work in these important areas.
Cell culture
Cell culture, a cornerstone of bioprocessing, allows for the controlled growth and maintenance of cells outside their natural environments. This technique underpins advancements across multiple sectors, from studying cellular processes and developing new drugs in life sciences to creating alternative proteins in food technology. It also plays a crucial role in agricultural innovation and environmental research. Specialized equipment, such as bioreactors and incubation shakers, supports the diverse applications of cell culture, enabling researchers and manufacturers to advance their work in these important areas.
Cell culture techniques across biotechnology applications
Cell culture techniques play a crucial role in advancing biotechnology across various sectors. These methods are essential for developing new drugs, producing biologics, and advancing cell and gene therapies in the biopharmaceutical industry. Life sciences benefit from cell culture in stem cell research and disease modeling. The food industry applies similar approaches to create cultured meat alternatives, addressing sustainability challenges. Environmental applications include culturing plant cells to enhance phytoremediation processes for pollutant removal. Additionally, cell culture is fundamental in producing monoclonal antibodies and cell-based vaccines, contributing to advancements in healthcare and immunology. These diverse applications demonstrate how cell culture techniques drive innovation and solve complex challenges in multiple fields, from medicine and biotechnology to environmental science and sustainable food production.
Cell culture challenges
Inline SVG icon
Contamination prevention
Cell culture techniques require stringent measures to prevent microbial contamination. Proper aseptic techniques, sterile equipment, and controlled environments are essential to maintain culture integrity. Regular testing and implementation of contamination control protocols help ensure reliable results across applications.
Inline SVG icon
Reproducibility
Consistent and reproducible cell culture results are crucial for research validity and scalability. Standardized protocols, well-documented procedures, and quality control measures help maintain consistency across experiments and production batches. Implementing robust record-keeping systems and utilizing validated cell lines contribute to reproducibility. Regular calibration of equipment and standardization of reagents also play key roles.
Inline SVG icon
Precise monitoring and control
Successful cell culture relies on careful regulation of environmental factors. Advanced monitoring systems and control mechanisms allow for the maintenance of optimal conditions, including temperature, pH, oxygen levels, and nutrient concentrations. These systems can be tailored to specific cell types and research objectives. Real-time data collection and automated adjustments help maintain stable culture conditions throughout experiments or production runs.
Inline SVG icon
Contamination prevention
Cell culture techniques require stringent measures to prevent microbial contamination. Proper aseptic techniques, sterile equipment, and controlled environments are essential to maintain culture integrity. Regular testing and implementation of contamination control protocols help ensure reliable results across applications.
Inline SVG icon
Reproducibility
Consistent and reproducible cell culture results are crucial for research validity and scalability. Standardized protocols, well-documented procedures, and quality control measures help maintain consistency across experiments and production batches. Implementing robust record-keeping systems and utilizing validated cell lines contribute to reproducibility. Regular calibration of equipment and standardization of reagents also play key roles.
Inline SVG icon
Precise monitoring and control
Successful cell culture relies on careful regulation of environmental factors. Advanced monitoring systems and control mechanisms allow for the maintenance of optimal conditions, including temperature, pH, oxygen levels, and nutrient concentrations. These systems can be tailored to specific cell types and research objectives. Real-time data collection and automated adjustments help maintain stable culture conditions throughout experiments or production runs.
Advanced bioprocessing applications
Cell culture techniques drive progress in cutting-edge biomedical fields. This includes cell and gene therapies, stem cell research, monoclonal antibody production, and cell-based vaccine development. These applications leverage advanced bioprocessing methods to address complex health challenges and develop innovative treatments.
Cell and gene therapy
Cell culture techniques are fundamental in developing and producing cell and gene therapies. These methods enable the modification, expansion, and characterization of therapeutic cells. Precise culture conditions are crucial for maintaining cell viability and function throughout the manufacturing process, ensuring the quality and efficacy of the final product.
Stem cell research
Cell culture techniques are essential in stem cell research, supporting the study of embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells. These methods enable the isolation, expansion, and precise differentiation of stem cells into specific lineages. Carefully controlled culture environments maintain stem cell properties and guide their development, facilitating advancements in disease modeling, drug development, and regenerative medicine applications.
Monoclonal antibody production
The production of monoclonal antibodies relies heavily on cell culture techniques. Hybridoma or recombinant cell lines are cultured in controlled bioreactor systems to express and secrete specific antibodies. Optimized culture conditions and feeding strategies are essential to maximize antibody yield and maintain product quality throughout the production process.
Cell-based vaccine production
Cell culture methods are critical in developing and manufacturing cell-based vaccines. These techniques allow for the propagation of viruses or the production of viral proteins in controlled, scalable systems. Cell culture approaches offer advantages in vaccine production speed, consistency, and adaptability compared to traditional egg-based methods.
Cell and gene therapy
Cell culture techniques are fundamental in developing and producing cell and gene therapies. These methods enable the modification, expansion, and characterization of therapeutic cells. Precise culture conditions are crucial for maintaining cell viability and function throughout the manufacturing process, ensuring the quality and efficacy of the final product.
Stem cell research
Cell culture techniques are essential in stem cell research, supporting the study of embryonic, adult, and induced pluripotent stem cells. These methods enable the isolation, expansion, and precise differentiation of stem cells into specific lineages. Carefully controlled culture environments maintain stem cell properties and guide their development, facilitating advancements in disease modeling, drug development, and regenerative medicine applications.
Monoclonal antibody production
The production of monoclonal antibodies relies heavily on cell culture techniques. Hybridoma or recombinant cell lines are cultured in controlled bioreactor systems to express and secrete specific antibodies. Optimized culture conditions and feeding strategies are essential to maximize antibody yield and maintain product quality throughout the production process.
Cell-based vaccine production
Cell culture methods are critical in developing and manufacturing cell-based vaccines. These techniques allow for the propagation of viruses or the production of viral proteins in controlled, scalable systems. Cell culture approaches offer advantages in vaccine production speed, consistency, and adaptability compared to traditional egg-based methods.
Related content
Application notePDF
Application notePDF
Application notePDF
Related articles
Blog08 Nov 2024•39 min read
Biolayer interferometry for adeno-associated virus capsid titer measurement and applications to upstream and downstream process development
Researchers at the University of Delaware used the INFORS HT Multitron incubator shaker to evaluate biolayer interferometry (BLI) for fast, high-throughput AAV capsid titer measurement. The study highlights the accuracy of AAVX-BLI across multiple rAAV serotypes, making it a strong alternative to ELISA. Applied in transfection optimization and AAV purification, this method offers valuable insights for improving rAAV production processes.
23 Oct 2024•9 min read•4•0
Optimizing HEK293 cell cultures for gene therapy applications: the role of incubator flexibility
Gene therapy is a promising approach for treating various genetic disorders and diseases. A critical component of gene therapy is the production of viral vectors, which serve as delivery vehicles for therapeutic genes. Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) cells have become a widely used platform for viral vector production due to their efficiency in transfection and ability to support viral replication. However, optimizing HEK293 cell cultures for large-scale production of viral vectors remains a challenge in making gene therapies more accessible and cost-effective.
16 Oct 2024•8 min read•1•2
The 7 "deadly sins" of shake flask culture
Simple actions can make a lot of difference to the outcome of your shake flasks cultures. Some beneficial ones have been covered in previous articles, however, common practices can also be a barrier to effective optimization. This article will explain why these common practices count as sins against your shake flask culture and what you can do to overcome them.
08 Nov 2024•39 min read
Biolayer interferometry for adeno-associated virus capsid titer measurement and applications to upstream and downstream process development
Researchers at the University of Delaware used the INFORS HT Multitron incubator shaker to evaluate biolayer interferometry (BLI) for fast, high-throughput AAV capsid titer measurement. The study highlights the accuracy of AAVX-BLI across multiple rAAV serotypes, making it a strong alternative to ELISA. Applied in transfection optimization and AAV purification, this method offers valuable insights for improving rAAV production processes.
23 Oct 2024•9 min read•4•0
Optimizing HEK293 cell cultures for gene therapy applications: the role of incubator flexibility
Gene therapy is a promising approach for treating various genetic disorders and diseases. A critical component of gene therapy is the production of viral vectors, which serve as delivery vehicles for therapeutic genes. Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) cells have become a widely used platform for viral vector production due to their efficiency in transfection and ability to support viral replication. However, optimizing HEK293 cell cultures for large-scale production of viral vectors remains a challenge in making gene therapies more accessible and cost-effective.
16 Oct 2024•8 min read•1•2
The 7 "deadly sins" of shake flask culture
Simple actions can make a lot of difference to the outcome of your shake flasks cultures. Some beneficial ones have been covered in previous articles, however, common practices can also be a barrier to effective optimization. This article will explain why these common practices count as sins against your shake flask culture and what you can do to overcome them.
Consult with our experts
Interested to learn how INFORS HT technologies could help optimize your cell culture processes? Reach out to us today.