The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 03, 2004
Filed:
Jun. 01, 2001
Rupert Mutzel, Constance, DE;
Philippe Marliere, Etiolles, FR;
Other;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and a device for selecting accelerated proliferation of living cells in suspension. The culture apparatus ( ) of the present invention enables cells to proliferate in suspension over unlimited periods of time. Natural selection results in the accumulation of genetic variants which are increasingly better adapted to the chosen culture conditions. The organisms used can be prokaryotic or eukaryotic. The organisms used can be naturally occurring organisms or genetically modified organisms. The culture apparatus of the present invention is also suitable for using continuous, periodical or conditional culture conditions. The physical and chemical characteristics of the culture media used can be chosen by the user. The requirement that a population of cells proliferates exclusively in suspension in continuous culture conditions is satisfied by the periodical transfer of the organism suspension from a first culture vessel into a second culture vessel. After the transfer, the first culture vessel is subjected to a sterilizing treatment and the sterilizing agent is optionally neutralized, so that the first culture vessel is ready for the culture to be transferred back from the second culture vessel. The second culture vessel is then sterilized and neutralized.