1. Mammalian cells
Proteins obtained from mammalian cells play an important role in the biotech industry for manufacturing therapeutic medicines. The best known mammalian cells are HEK (human embryonic kidney) cells, which are relatively easy to handle. CHO cell lines from the ovaries of the Chinese hamster are one of the most frequently used cell lines for manufacturing therapeutic agents.
Typical cultivation parameters for mammalian cells:
| Parameter | Temperature | Mixing rate | Cultivation time | pH | pO2 |
| Shaker | 37°C | 40 - 120 min-1 | 96 h+ |
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| Bioreactor | 37°C | 40 - 120 min-1 | 7 - 10 days | 7.2 | 30 - 50% |
2. Insect cells
Insect cell cultures are often used for research into recombinant proteins, i.e., those produced using genetic engineering methods. Compared to mammalian cells, insect cells are less susceptible to contamination and are unlikely to contain human viruses. The best-known cell lines are Sf9 and Sf21, which are isolated from moth tissues.
Typical cultivation parameters of insect cells:
| Parameter | Temperature | Mixing rate | Cultivation time | pH | pO2 |
| Shaker | 27 - 28°C | 100 - 140 min-1 | 129 h |
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| Bioreactor | 27 - 28°C | 100 - 140 min-1 | 4 - 8 days | 6.15 - 6.25 | 25 - 50% |
3. Plant cells
Plant cells have omnipotent properties, which means that they are able to regenerate to complete intact plants. . For this reason, they are often used for studying differentiation processes in biology. Proteins with pharmacological activity and antibodies can be derived from plant cell lines as well. Tobacco plants, for example, are especially popular as a fast, economical alternative to mammalian cells in the production of vaccines.
Typical cultivation parameters of plant cells:
| Parameter | Temperature | Mixing rate | Cultivation time | pH | pO2 |
| Shaker | 20 - 28°C | 100 - 200 min-1 | 96 h+ |
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| Bioreactor | 20 - 28°C | 100 - 200 min-1 | 4 - 6 days | 5.8 - 6 | 21 - 50% |
4. Culture medium
Most often commercial, premixed culture media only containing defined chemicals are applied for cell culture processes. This has mainly two reasons: Cell cultivation is often performed for producing drugs in the pharmaceutical area, where you must provide precise details on what the medium contains. With complex media, however, this would not be possible. Secondly, using premade sterile culture media is also a way of reducing the risk of contamination.