COMPARISON OF THE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY OF MAMMALIAN CELLS GROWN IN A FLUIDIZED BED AND IN A STIRRED TANK BIOREACTOR

Abstract A perfused fluidized bed bioreactor packed with porous glass spheres and a stirred tank perfusion bioreactor equipped with a double membrane stirrer for bubble-free aeration and medium perfusion were used for the cultivation of a murine hybridoma cell line which produces a monoclonal murine IgG 2a antibody (MAb). The production efficiency of both systems was compared. A productivity per unit reactor volume of 159.7 mg/d/l and 42.8 mg/d/l was obtained with the fluidized bed bioreactor and the stirred tank bioreactor, respectively. The reported results show an approximately 4-fold increase in the MAb production rate attained with the perfused fluidized bed bioreactor based on porous glass spheres. Keywords: Fluidized bed bioreactor; stirred tank bioreactor;production efficiency; monoclonal antibody.