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Sparged Animal Cell Bioreactors: Mechanism of Cell Damage and Pluronic F‐68 Protection
Author(s) -
Murhammer David W.,
Goochee Charles F.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
biotechnology progress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.572
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6033
pISSN - 8756-7938
DOI - 10.1021/bp00005a012
Subject(s) - poloxamer , bioreactor , mechanism (biology) , cell , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biophysics , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , copolymer , polymer , philosophy , epistemology
Pluronic F‐68 is a widely used protective agent in sparged animal cell bioreactors. In this study, the attachment‐independent Spodoptera frugiperda Sf9 insect cell line was used to explore the mechanism of this protective effect and the nature of cell damage in sparged bioreactors. First, bubble incorporation via cavitation or vortexing was induced by increasing the agitation rate in a surface‐aerated bioreactor; insect cells were rapidly killed under these conditions of the absence of polyols. Supplementing the medium with 0.2% (w/v) Pluronic F‐68, however, fully protected the cells. Next, cell growth was compared in two airlift bioreactors with similar geometry but different sparger design; one of these bioreactors consisted of a thin membrane distributor, while the other consisted of a porous stainless steel distributor. The flow rates and bubble sizes were comparable in the two bioreactors. Supplementing the medium with 0.2% (w/v) Pluronic F‐68 provided full protection to cells growing in the bioreactor with the membrane distributor but provided essentially no protection in the bioreactor with the stainless steel distributor. These results strongly suggest that cell damage can occur in the vicinity of the gas distributor. In addition, these results demonstrate that bubble size and gas flow rate are not the only important considerations of cell damage in sparged bioreactors. A model of cell death in sparged bioreactors is presented.