Benchmarking of commercially available CHO cell culture media for antibody production

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells have become the preferred expression system for the production of complex recombinant proteins. Several suppliers offer CHO specific cell cultivation media and sometimes also media systems, which combine feeds and basal medium. We compared eight commercially available CHO cell culture media and feed supplements from three different vendors to evaluate their influence on cell growth and antibody production of a CHO cell line. In conclusion, ActiCHO™ Media System, with a matching base media and feeds, resulted in the highest cell growth and the highest productivity. Further nutrient additions did not have a profound effect on the process performance.