Growth kinetics of hybridoma cells: (1) The effects of varying foetal calf serum levels.

The growth kinetics, i.e. growth rate, cell yield and antibody production, of two murine hybridoma cell lines have been studied in several commercial media at different FCS levels in static 25 cm2 flask cultures. Reduction of FCS levels from 10% to 5% did not affect significantly the antibody yield whereas at 2% and 1% FCS levels growth rate, cell and antibody yield were reduced significantly in all media. Considerable differences were noted in the maximum cell populations obtained in the different media, with IMDM producing the highest cell and antibody yields; IMDM greater than HiGem greater than DME greater than RPMI. The cell lines did not grow in the absence of FCS but did grow in the presence of basal medium supplemented with insulin and transferrin at 10 mg per L. Both cell lines were stable during several months' passage in this medium. A supplement containing human albumin or BSA at 1 g per L combined with the insulin and transferrin (10 mg per L) could replace 1% FCS in DME without significantly affecting the cell yields of B6.