A continuous multistage roller reactor for animal cell culture: 1. Patterns of growth, production and catabolism of a murine hybridoma.

A Tubular Liquid Film Reactor was designed as a model system to transfer a batch culture kinetic to a continuous cascade. Cell density, product formation and substrate consumption rates were followed during fermentation at two dilution rates. In spite of the high dilution rates effective in each segment by itself high cell densities of up to 10(7) cells/ml were achieved due to cell sedimentation. The model character of the reactor was taken to determine critical values of substrate concentrations that influence production rates and result in an adaptation of metabolism.