On-line monitoring of cell mass in mammalian cell cultures by acoustic densitometry.
Acoustic resonance densitometry (ARD) provides a highly reproducible and stable method for on-line measurement of culture biomass density. The technique provides a direct determination of changes in relative density of culture medium and cell mass. At cell concentrations higher than 10(6) cells mL(-1)this method can replace cell counts and provide a continuous measure of total cell mass. In cultures of hybridomas or U937 human lymphoma cells, the ARD value correlates well with cell number except when the average cell size changes during culture. It is argued that cell mass determined by ARD rather than cell number should be used as the basis for measurements of specific biological activity.
Kilburn
D G
DG
Department of Microbiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Fitzpatrick
P
P
Blake-Coleman
B C
BC
Clarke
D J
DJ
Griffiths
J B
JB