Large-scale production of monoclonal antibodies in defined serum-free media in airlift bioreactors.

Forty- and ninety-liter airlift bioreactors have been used successfully to grow hybridoma cell lines in chemically defined serum-free media. In the airlift bioreactor, hybridoma cell growth and monoclonal antibody productivity are comparable to that obtained by conventional cell culture. At sparging rates of 0.60-1.20 vvh (volume of sparged gas per bioreactor volume per hour), the airlift bioreactor achieves rapid mixing and adequate oxygen mass transfer. Foaming is minimal and inconsequential for serum-free media and media supplemented with 5%-10% fetal bovine serum. The use of serum-free medium facilitates monoclonal antibody purification and enhances the purity of the final MAb product.