Q1: Why does BioEngine's provided solution not involve cooling, which is commonly practiced in cultivation processes?
The main consideration is that cell culture is a personalized production process. Different cell lines, culture models, types of target proteins, and other factors exhibit varying responses to cooling temperature and duration. Therefore, there is no standardized cooling protocol, and adjustments need to be made based on specific projects. Please feel free to contact us for further support and guidance tailored to your specific needs.
Q2: How do you perform media exchange during perfusion cell culture?
For small-scale perfusion testing, it is advisable to carry out the experiments in TPP vessels as it allows for easier centrifugation and media exchange. BioEngine can provide corresponding protocols based on your preliminary data. Please contact us for further support and assistance.
Q3: In a 500L reactor, if the pH keeps decreasing over time, what could be the reason?
If pH drops during the early stages of cultivation, it is considered a normal phenomenon and often indicates rapid cell growth. However, if pH decreases in the later stages of cultivation and requires alkaline supplementation to maintain control within the desired range, it suggests that the process has not reached optimal conditions. This can be improved by changing the culture medium, adjusting the composition of the culture medium, or optimizing control parameters. Please contact us for further support.
Q4: What is in DMEM media?
DMEM (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium) is a type of cell culture medium that contains a variety of components necessary for cell growth and survival. DMEM may also contain additional supplements or modifications depending on the specific application or experimental requirements. The DMEM culture medium formula can be downloaded from the BioEngine website. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact us at any time.
Q5: What is CAR-T therapy?
CAR-T therapy is a type of immunotherapy that uses genetically modified T cells to fight cancer cells. T cells are a type of white blood cell that help protect you from infection and disease. In CAR-T therapy, some of your T cells are collected from your blood and engineered in a lab to produce special receptors called chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). These CARs allow the T cells to recognize and attack specific antigens (or markers) on the surface of cancer cells. The modified T cells are then infused back into your body to find and destroy the cancer cells.
CAR-T therapy has been approved by the FDA for certain types of B cell leukemia and lymphoma, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. However, CAR-T therapy also has some limitations and challenges, such as severe side effects, antigen escape, poor trafficking and tumor infiltration, and immunosuppressive microenvironment. Researchers are working on improving CAR-T therapy by developing new strategies and approaches to overcome these barriers.
BioEngine’s HIPP T009 medium can support rapid expansion of CAR-T cells which could reduce the waiting period for patients, and ensure CAR positivity rate to guarantee product efficacy and quality.
Q6: Are there any recommendations for preventing or dispersing cell clumps in a suspension culture?
There are several recommendations for preventing or dispersing cell clumps in a suspension culture:
1. Use fresh media: Old media can contain debris or dead cells that may promote clumping. Therefore, it is important to use fresh media to ensure the best conditions for cell growth.
2. Gentle pipetting: Avoid harsh pipetting which may lead to the formation of cell clumps. Instead, use a gentle pipetting technique that helps disperse the cells.
3. Use anti-clumping agents: Anti-clumping agents such as Pluronic F-68, HEPES, or EDTA can be added to the media to help prevent cell clumping. These agents work by reducing the surface tension between the cells, making them less likely to stick together.
4. Use agitation: Agitation can be used to promote the dispersal of cell clumps. Methods such as shaking, stirring, or spinning the culture can help break up the clumps.
5. Use enzymatic treatments: Enzymes such as trypsin, collagenase, or DNase can be added to the culture to help disperse cell clumps. These enzymes work by breaking down the components that promote cell clumping.
Overall, the key to preventing or dispersing cell clumps is to maintain the culture in the best conditions possible, with a focus on gentle handling and the use of appropriate agents or treatments as needed. For any inquiries regarding cell culture, please reach out to us and our technical support team will provide you with optimal solutions.
Q7:Why do we use insect cells for protein expression?
Insect cells are commonly used for protein expression because they can perform post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation and phosphorylation, similar to mammalian cells. Insect cells also have a high protein production capacity and can be cultured in suspension, allowing for easy scaling up of production. Additionally, they are not infected by human viruses, reducing the risk of contaminating human cell lines with viral particles. The most commonly used insect cell line for protein expression is the Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cell line. BioEngine provides Vigor series insect cell culture media for both sf9 and High five.
Q8: What are the differences between CAR-T and uCAR-T?
"CAR-T and UCAR-T are both types of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, which is a form of immunotherapy that uses genetically modified T cells to target and kill cancer cells.
The main difference between CAR-T and UCAR-T is that CAR-T cells are autologous, meaning they are made from the patient’s own T cells, while UCAR-T cells are allogeneic, meaning they are made from healthy donors’ T cells.
The advantage of UCAR-T cells is that they can be produced in advance and used for multiple patients, which may reduce the cost, time and variability of CAR-T cell therapy. However, UCAR-T cells also face the challenge of avoiding immune rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which may require gene editing techniques to remove or modify certain antigens on the donor T cells."
Q9: Why are Vero cells used for vaccines?
Vero cells are used for vaccines because they are derived from monkey kidney cells, which are similar to human cells and can support the growth of many viruses, including those used in vaccine production such as measles, rubella, and polio. Additionally, Vero cells have been extensively tested for safety and are considered a reliable platform for vaccine production. BioEngine provides Pesche series vero serum-free media for high virus amplication.
"T cells are a type of white blood cell that help your immune system fight germs and protect you from disease1. They are part of the adaptive immune system, which means they can recognize specific antigens and remember them for future encounters.
T cells have a special molecule called a T cell receptor (TCR) on their surface, which can bind to antigens presented by other cells. T cells develop in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus, which is why they are also called T lymphocytes.
There are two main types of T cells: cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells. Cytotoxic T cells (also called CD8+ T cells) can directly kill infected or cancerous cells by releasing toxic substances. Helper T cells (also called CD4+ T cells) can secrete cytokines that stimulate other immune cells, such as B cells and macrophages, to produce antibodies and destroy pathogens.
There are also other subtypes of T cells, such as regulatory T cells, which can suppress excessive or harmful immune responses and prevent autoimmune diseases, and memory T cells, which can provide long-lasting immunity against previously encountered antigens."
Q11: What is the best medium for T cells?
The best medium for T cells may vary depending on the specific type of T cell and the purpose of the culture. However, commonly used media for T cell culture include RPMI-1640, DMEM, and AIM-V. These media are often supplemented with fetal bovine serum, cytokines, and other growth factors to support T cell growth and function. HIPP T009 medium of BioEngine is a type of serum-free medium that is designed for the culture and expansion of human immune cells, such as T cells, NK cells, CIK cells, NK-92 cells, K562 cells and Jurkat cells.
Q12: Can BioEngine provide culture medium development services?
Yes, BioEngine has a professional technical service team that can customize the culture medium according to the customer's needs. In addition to providing hundreds of catalog culture media, BioEngine also provides fast cell culture medium development service according to different customer needs, to help customers increase production efficiency and reduce cost. For more detailed information, please refer to the culture medium development service page, or contact us directly.