Kolliphor® P 188 Bio – High purity poloxamer in biologics manufacturing

Manufacture of biologics in suspension cell culture causes damage to the cell membranes (shear stress). The majority of the damage occurs due to agitation from the impellor, and during gas sparging at the bubble layer, regardless of the bioreactor size that is used. Damaged cells in the culture lowers the overall health of the culture, and will ultimately affect the protein production yield.

Many different compounds have been screened for use in protecting the cells from this shear stress, including animal serum, cellulosic derivatives, dextran sulfate, polyethelyne glycols (PEGs), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and poloxamers. The most widely used additive to protect against shear stress is poloxamer 188 (P 188, often referred to as Pluronic® F-68). Impurities present in poloxamer 188 preparations can have toxic effects on the cell culture, so it is very important to use the most pure and consistent poloxamer 188 available – Kolliphor® P 188 Bio, which has been designed for use in cell culture systems.