A comparison of various laboratory scale culture configurations for microcarrier culture of animal cells.
When developing procedures for microcarrier culture it is important to use equipment which results in even suspension of microcarriers with minimal shear forces and which permits maximum growth of the culture. A variety of different laboratory scale culture systems were investigated including traditional magnetic spinner flasks, modified spinner flasks, cultures stirred with bulb-shaped rods and a fluid lift culture system. All systems were compared with respect to growth of either MRC-5 or Vero cells on Cytodex microcarriers. Although most of the earlier work with microcarriers has been performed with traditional magnetic spinner flasks, recently modified equipment resulted in better plating efficiencies and greater cell yields. Cultures stirred with a bulb-shaped rod and contained in flasks with contoured bases were particularly useful for cells having a low plating efficiency and provided thorough stirring of the medium with minimum shear forces. A fluid lift system based on upward perfusion of medium through a culture contained in a chromatographic column is described. This technique could provide a useful alternative for suspending microcarriers and provides for accurate in-line control of gas tensions.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D007700:Kinetics; D008863:Microspheres