Fluid-mechanical damage of animal cells in bioreactors

The fluid-mechanical and some biological aspects of damage to animal cells in bioreactors due to agitation and/or aeration are attracting renewed attention. In microcarrier bioreactors, cell damage is due to forces generated by the interaction of microcarrier beads with each other and also with small turbulent eddies. For freely suspended cells grown in mixed bioreactors, cell damage is most frequently due to bubble breakup or fast-draining liquid films around rearranging gas-liquid interfaces.