Q1: Does BioEngine provide a Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the products?

Yes, BioEngine provides Certificate of Analysis (COA) files for their products.

Q2: Does the medium contain antibiotics?

No. All BioEngine culture media products are antibiotic-free.

Q3:Has the Eden series medium from BioEngine been used in the production of marketed drugs?

Yes. The Eden series cell culture media has been used in over 60 antibody/protein projects, and it has been used for large-scale production in four marketed drugs.

Q4: Has the Eden series medium from BioEngine been used in clinical stage antibody/protein production projects?

Yes. The Eden series CHO media has been applied in over 60 antibody or protein projects, with more than 20 projects currently in clinical stages.

Q5: What is the turnaround time for customization service of cell culture medium?

The time for cell culture medium customization is about 3-6 months, and it varies significantly depending on the specific project. A comprehensive evaluation of the project's requirements is necessary. Please contact us for further information and to discuss your project. (For detailed information on our cell culture medium customization services, please click the provided link.)

Q6: What is the minimum essential media?

Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) is a cell culture medium that is composed of the essential nutrients required for the survival and growth of cells in vitro. It was first developed by Harry Eagle in the 1950s, and it is the most commonly used basal medium for mammalian cell culture. The minimum essential medium contains amino acids, vitamins, glucose, and other components that are required for the growth of most cell types. The original formulation of MEM also contains non-essential amino acids, but there are now many variations of MEM with different compositions depending on the specific needs of the cells being cultured.The MEM culture medium formula can be downloaded from the BioEngine website. If you need assistance, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Q7: How do I adapt my cells to serum-free medium?

Adapting cells to serum-free medium requires a gradual transition from serum-containing medium to serum-free medium to allow the cells to adjust to the new conditions. Here are some general steps for adapting cells to serum-free medium:

1. Prepare serum-free medium: Make sure you have the appropriate serum-free medium for your cell type. Also, consider adding any necessary supplements or growth factors to the medium to support cell growth.

2. Begin the transition: Start by replacing a small portion of the serum-containing medium with serum-free medium, such as replacing 10% of the medium with serum-free medium. Increase the percentage of serum-free medium every few days until you have completely switched to serum-free medium.

3. Monitor cell growth: During the transition, monitor the cells closely to ensure they are adapting to the serum-free medium. Look for changes in cell morphology or growth rate, which may indicate that the cells are experiencing stress or adapting well to the new medium.

4. Optimize conditions: Once the cells have adapted to the serum-free medium, you may need to optimize the conditions, such as the concentration of supplements or growth factors, to achieve the best growth and viability of the cells.

5. Consider cryopreservation: Once the cells have successfully adapted to serum-free medium, it may be a good idea to cryopreserve a batch of cells to have a backup in case of future problems or contamination.

It is important to note that adapting cells to serum-free medium can be cell-type dependent, and some cells may be more difficult to adapt than others. Therefore, it may be helpful to consult the literature or other researchers who have successfully adapted your cell type to serum-free medium for specific tips or protocols.

Q8: What changes occur when CHO cells transition from adherent culture to suspension culture?

When CHO cells transition from adherent to suspension growth, several changes occur in their growth characteristics and behavior.

Adherent CHO cells typically grow attached to a surface and require a substrate for attachment and growth. They also tend to have slower growth rates and lower cell densities compared to suspension cultures. In contrast, suspension CHO cells can grow in suspension without substrate attachment and can achieve much higher cell densities.

During the transition process, adherent CHO cells are gradually adapted to grow in suspension culture. This involves gradually reducing the surface area of the culture vessel and increasing the agitation speed to maintain the cells in suspension. Over time, the cells adapt to these new conditions and develop the ability to grow in suspension.

As the cells adapt to suspension culture, several changes occur in their growth characteristics. Suspension CHO cells tend to exhibit faster growth rates, shorter doubling times, and higher maximum cell densities compared to adherent cells. They also often demonstrate increased productivity in terms of recombinant protein production per cell, making them more efficient for protein production. However, suspension cultures require more specialized equipment and processes to maintain the cells in suspension and may be more sensitive to changes in environmental conditions such as pH and dissolved oxygen.

In summary, the transition of CHO cells from adherent to suspension growth involves a gradual adaptation to new culture conditions, resulting in changes in growth characteristics and behavior. Suspension cultures of CHO cells generally exhibit higher growth rates and improved protein production efficiency compared to adherent cultures, but they require specialized equipment and processes to maintain them in suspension.

Q9: What are difference 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.

Q10: Why are Vero cells good for growing viruses?

Vero cells are good for growing viruses because they lack interferon production and have a high susceptibility to many viruses. The cells are also easy to propagate, adapt to serum-free conditions, and have stable karyotypes, making them a popular choice for virus propagation and vaccine production. Additionally, Vero cells can be used for the production of large quantities of virus, making them a useful tool for research and development of antiviral drugs and vaccines. Pesche series vero serum-free media of BioEngine were designed for high virus amplication on vero cells.

Q11: What medium is used for Sf9 cells?

Sf9 cells are commonly cultured in serum-free media such as Vigor series insect cell media of BioEngine. These media are optimized for the growth of Sf9 cells and contain all the necessary nutrients and supplements for cell growth and protein expression. Vigor series insect cell media are suitable for both sf9 and High five.

Q12: What are the causes of cell clumping in suspension cultures, and how to deal with it?

"Clumping of cells in suspension culture can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

1. Overcrowding of cells: If there are too many cells in the culture, they can start to clump together.

2. Agitation: Excessive shaking or stirring can cause cells to clump together.

3. Cell type: Some cell types are more prone to clumping than others.

4. pH: Changes in pH can affect cell adhesion and cause cells to clump together.

5. Serum concentration: High concentrations of serum can cause cells to clump together.

To deal with clumping of cells in suspension culture, here are some possible solutions:

1. Adjust the cell concentration: If cells are too crowded, reduce the cell concentration to prevent clumping.

2. Adjust the agitation: Reduce the speed of shaking or stirring to minimize cell clumping.

3. Add anti-clumping agents: Some reagents can be added to the medium to prevent cells from clumping together. Common anti-clumping agents include EDTA, citrate, and heparin.

4. Try different media formulations: Some media formulations may be more or less prone to clumping depending on the cell type and culture conditions.

5. Use surface-treated cultureware: Some cultureware is treated to reduce cell adhesion and prevent clumping.

6. Perform a gentle resuspension: If cells have already clumped together, gently resuspend the cells by pipetting or tapping the culture vessel.

By implementing these measures, it is possible to reduce the clumping of cells in suspension culture and maintain a healthy culture. Please contact us if you have any questions of cell culture and our technique support team will give you professional suggestions. "

Q13:What are the advantages of cell-based vaccine production?

"Cell-based vaccines are developed from mammalian or more rarely avian or insect cell lines rather than the more common method which uses the cells in embryonic chicken eggs to develop the antigens. Some of the advantages of cell-based vaccines are:

1. They do not rely on an adequate supply of chicken eggs to produce each vaccine and can rapidly produce vaccine supplies during an impending pandemic. 2. They offer a faster and more stable production of vaccines compared to embryonic chicken eggs.

3. They may allow for multiple viral vaccines to be produced in the same production platforms and facilities in a more sterile environment. 4. They may avoid some strains that do not grow well on embryonic chicken eggs.

5. They may prevent the spread of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies that may pose a sterility problem with animal serum. 6. They may avoid egg-allergen for people with egg allergies.

7. They may be more effective given that there is a risk that the virus may mutate during its long growth phase in the chicken egg."

Q14: What are the different production platforms for COVID-19 vaccines?

"The production of COVID-19 vaccines utilizes various platforms and technologies. Here are some commonly used platforms:

1. mRNA vaccine platform: Examples include the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (Comirnaty/BNT162b2) and the Moderna vaccine (Spikevax/mRNA-1273). These vaccines employ messenger RNA (mRNA) to deliver partial genetic information of the virus, triggering the production of the spike protein in human cells and eliciting an immune response.

2. Viral vector vaccine platform: Examples include the AstraZeneca vaccine (Vaxzevria/AZD1222) and the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. These vaccines use modified adenoviruses as vectors to introduce the genetic information of the coronavirus into human cells, leading to the production of viral proteins and induction of an immune response.

3. Protein subunit vaccine platform: Examples include the Novavax vaccine (NVX-CoV2373) and vaccines developed by Guangzhou Institute of Biological Products. These vaccines utilize specific protein components (such as the spike protein) of the virus as antigens to stimulate the immune system to generate an immune response.

4. Inactivated vaccine platform: Examples include the vaccines developed by Sinovac (CoronaVac) and Sinopharm. These vaccines employ inactivated forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to induce an immune response when injected into the body.

These are some of the commonly used platforms for COVID-19 vaccine production, and each platform has its unique characteristics and manufacturing processes. Different vaccine manufacturers may employ different technologies and methods to produce vaccines.

BioEngine provides cell culture media for COVID-19 vaccine production, including 293 cell culture media, CHO cell culture media, and Vero cell culture media."