CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF BACULOVIRUS IN A CASCADE OF INSECT-CELL REACTORS

Insect cells (Spodoptera frugiperda) were cultured in a continuous stirred-tank reactor. The effluent was led to a cascade of another two reactors, each containing half the volume of the cell-growth reactor, where the cells were infected with Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus. For about 10 days production of 107 polyhedra (virus particles embedded in a protein capsule) per cm3 was achieved. This short production time compared to previous experiments involving an analogous system with a single infection vessel of equal volume to the cell-growth vessel is ascribed to the accelerated occurence of the so-called passage effect (a decrease of infectious virus with time). From the results of a computer model it was concluded that this passage effect was accelerated by the change in residence time distribution as compared to the earlier experiments. time distribution as compared to the earlier experiments. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.