Biochemical Techniques and Instrumentation

6.3.3.2. Maintenance of cells

Certain factors are responsible for the maintenance of cells. They are:

1. Temperature and CO₂: Cells have to be maintained at an appropriate temperature (37^oC) and gas mixture (5% CO₂) in a cell incubator. Culture conditions vary widely for each cell type.

2. Growth medium : The most important factor for the maintenance of cells is the growth medium. Growth media with different pH, glucose concentration, growth factors, and nutrients are available. Growth factors are often derived from animal blood, such as calf serum. Antibiotics such as penicillin and streptomycin and antifungals such as Amphotericin B can be added to the growth media to prevent contamination.

3. Contamination: Contamination of the cell culture with viruses or prions is the main problem because of the blood-derived ingredients in the growth media. To minimize or eliminate this problem, it is better to use the animal blood from countries with minimum BSE/TSE risk such as Australia and New Zealand or to use of purified nutrient concentrates derived from serum in place of whole animal serum for cell culture.