Basics of animal cell culture: Foundation for modern science

The culture of animal cells is one of the major aspects of science which serves as a foundation for most of our recent discoveries. The major areas of application include cancer research, vaccine manufacturing, recombinant protein production, drug selection and improvement, gene therapy, stem cell biology, monoclonal antibody production, in vitro fertilization technology, cryopreservation and in vitro production of hormones. Cells can be propagated, expanded and divided into identical replicates, which can be characterized, purified and preserved by freezing. This article reviews the basic aspects of animal cell culture for modern day research. Key words: Animal cell culture, cell freezing, cell preservation.