Effect in the growth of SF-9 insect cells of addition of amino acids to the culture medium

• Grant number: 14/25243-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2015
• End date: January 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Aldo Tonso
• Grantee: Ana Luisa Pereira Lima
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The interest in vitro insect cell culture has increased in recent decades due to the development of a heterologous protein expression system based on this technique (Insect Cell-Baculovirus Expression Vector - BEV-IC), which is able to produce proteins with complex post-translational modifications and presents some advantages when compared with the system employing mammalian cells. Furthermore, insect cells may be utilized in the production of the baculovirus based biopesticide, requiring large pre-infection cell concentrations. But the metabolism of insect cells is still poorly understood, making it difficult to develop strategies to increase cell growth and yield of the production of proteins of interest. Thus, this project aims to study the influence of the addition of amino acids and yeast extract in the growth of Sf-9 insect cells, to achieve higher cell concentrations. For monitoring cell growth, viable cells concentration will be analyzed, as well, consumption of the main substrates (glucose, glutamine, and glutamate) and lactate production, a by-product of the growth of Sf-9 cells.