Overview of ingredients in media formulation for recombinant protein production

Abstract

Chemically defined media (CD) have been used in the production of a wide variety of therapies, including growth factors, antibody fragments, and Fc-fusion proteins. However, commercial fermentation with complex ingredients may exhibit variable performance, which can impair product output and quality. In this context, employing CD medium for commercial fermentation becomes a viable option. In spite of the fact that CD medium is often associated with sluggish growth and/or poor productivity, recent research has demonstrated that growth in CD medium may attain a growth profile and protein titer that are comparable to those of its complex medium equivalent. In the process of producing recombinant proteins by fermentation, specified media are particularly useful in cases in which the auxotrophic phenotype of the plasmid being selected for is the driving selection pressure. Fermentation processes are heavily dependent on the development of superior strains through mutagenesis and random screening procedures, as well as the optimization of the environment to which an organism is exposed.