The supply of oxygen to submerged cultures of BHK 21 cells

Oxygen solution rates were measured in 4, 30, and 100 liter culture vessels, and the oxygen demand of growing BHK 21 cells estimated. This data was used to calculate the minimal sparged air rates necessary to satisfy oxygen demand throughout the cell growth cycle, and in this way adequate oxygen was supplied without the damaging effects of excessive sparging. Comparable results were obtained when oxygen was supplied by this method and when pO₂ was controlled at 80 mmHg, but both cell growth rate and maximum cell density were reduced when pO₂ was controlled at other values.