Applications of Cell Culture
Cell culture is a process where cells are grown under controlled conditions. Specimen cells are placed in a cell culture incubator and exposed to a habitat that induces them to grow and reproduce as they mature.
Cell culture is done to create model systems for studying cells’ characteristics and behaviours and how they react to drugs and toxic compounds.
Cell culture is used for a wide variety of purposes and industries. Apart from medical research, it is used in drug screening and development and large-scale manufacturing of biological compounds such as vaccines and therapeutic proteins.
There are different applications of cell culture. Among the most popular are the following:
- Research
Researchers use a cell culture incubator to contain cells for bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic cultures. They grow bacterial cells for gene manipulation or culture mammalian cells to monitor the effects of drugs and hormones on functioning cells (necessary in cancer studies).
Virologists meanwhile culture viruses when developing antiviral drugs and vaccines, like in the case of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- Tissue engineering
Another application of cell culture is tissue engineering. Cells have to be cultured to jumpstart homo-grafting or reconstructive surgery that uses a patient’s cells.
Tissue engineering is also popular in agriculture. Plant tissue culture is conducted to grow new plants or silage production.
- Pharmaceuticals
Cell culture is also crucial in pharmaceutical activities. Pharmaceutical companies acquire genetically engineered bacteria from cell culture to develop drugs with therapeutic proteins like vaccines, insulin, and interferon.
- Biotechnology
Cell culture is also present in food production. Food technologists use cell culture in developing brewed beverages and baking ingredients. Through cell culture, they improve the quality of preservatives and other additive on various food and beverage products.
- Your Guide To A Hearing Test: Step-By-Step - April 12, 2024
- Nature’s Bounty Preserved: Freeze Dried Fruits for Healthy Delights - October 27, 2023
- Understanding Fever in Children: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options - May 24, 2023