Feature Article: Bioreactor Control

By Christian Julien and William Whitford

Because cell culture processes are characterized by low specific growth rates and cell and product yields (compared with chemical processes), it is critical to maintain optimal physiologic culture conditions throughout each cultivation by controlling critical process parameters, which

• prevents inducing physical and chemical stress
• satisfies nutritional requirements for the cells
• precludes limiting conditions such as the build-up of toxic or inhibitive metabolic products
• delays apoptosis
• increases product yield by preventing product degradation
• maintains cell line stability for sustained, reproducible production
• otherwise maximizes process efficiency.

To achieve those objectives, modern control strategies are being deployed that draw upon our expanding knowledge and modeling capabilities of real-world processes. Such efforts must take into account the capacities of a given host both for protein processing and physiologic adaptation.

Reprinted with permission from BioProcess International 5(01):S18-S31 (January 2007)

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