Perfusion Overview Cell Culture

In cell culture, perfusion is a process that uses a method to keep cells in a bioreactor while continuously exchanging culture medium. Fresh medium replenishes nutrients and carbon sources, while cellular waste and medium depleted of nutrients are removed. This exchange of medium is commonly expressed as the number of operating vessel volumes per day (VVD). For example, if 2 L of medium is being perfused daily into a system with a 2 L working volume, this would be expressed as 1 VVD.

For suspension culture, there are two primary cell retention methods: filtration and settling. Filtration methods, like tangential flow filtration (TFF), cycle medium from the reactor through porous hollow fibers.

This ebook explains in more detail about perfusion as well as its advantages and the different types of perfusion available.