Several mammalian cell culture processes using hybridoma, CHO or BHK suspension cells have been subject of modeling approaches. Until now, no model has been proposed for growth and product formation of adherent cell lines, like MDCK cells, or for description of all relevant steps in production of cell culture-derived biologicals.

We focus on vaccine production processes and are developing structured and non-structured models for design, monitoring and optimization of these complex systems. Compared to other mammalian cell culture processes, e.g. manufacturing of recombinant proteins or monoclonal antibodies, vaccine manufacturing usually involves a combination of two consecutive cultivation steps: 1. cell growth and 2. virus replication. As a result, additional influences on product yield have to be considered: washing steps, medium exchange, virus infectivity, multiplicity of infection, incubation time, virus replication rate, cell death rate, etc.

This project is cooperation between the Bioprocess Engineering group at the MPI and the Bioprocess Engineering group at the Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg.

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