Selection of chemically defined media for CHO cell fed-batch culture processes

Two CHO cell clones derived from the same parental CHO^BC® cell line and producing the same monoclonal antibody (BC-G, a low producing clone; BC-P, a high producing clone) were tested in four basal media in all possible combinations with three feeds (=12 conditions) in fed-batch cultures. Higher amino acid feeding did not always lead to higher mAb production. The two clones showed differences in cell physiology, metabolism and optimal medium-feed combinations. During the phase transitions of all cultures, cell metabolism showed a shift represented by lower specific consumption and production rates, except for the specific glucose consumption rate in cultures fed by Actifeed A/B. The BC-P clone fed by Actifeed A/B showed a threefold cell volume increase and an increase of the specific consumption rate of glucose in the stationary phase. Since feeding was based on glucose this resulted in accumulation of amino acids for this feed, while this did not occur for the poorer feed (EFA/B). The same feed also led to an increase of cell size for the BC-G clone, but to a lesser extent.