4. Bioreactors for mass culture of animal cells

Whatever the scale used, the bioreactor must enable animal cells to be cultured under controlled physico-chemical environmental conditions (temperature, pH, p _O2 ). It must also provide sufficient aeration for the cells, agitation for the suspension of free cells or cells adhered to micro-supports, good levels of material transfer (oxygen and nutrients) and the shortest possible mixing times to ensure correct regulation of operating parameters. In this sense, industrial animal cell culture reactors, based on stirred and aerated tanks, have strong similarities with microbial fermenters, but are used under much less intense stirring and aeration operating conditions.