Production of SeNPV in a Suspension of an Established Spodoptera Exigua Cell Line

Baculoviruses are potential biological control agents. Traditionally, baculoviruses are produced in insect larvae, which is a laborious process and difficult to scale-up. Modern cell-culture technology facilitates the growth of insect cells in suspension in bioreactors. The cells can be infected with the extracellular form of the virus (ECV) and produce the occluded form of the virus (polyhedra) found in nature, which can then be easily purified (Figure 1).