Production of baculoviruses and expression of green fluorescent protein in immobilised Sf21 insect cell cultivation

Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf21) insect cells were grown in the microspheres that were prepared using sodium-cellulosesulfate (NaCS) and poly-diallyldimethylammoniumchloride (PDADMAC). The highest Sf21 cell density was 1 × 108 cells/ml in the microshperes. The immobilised Sf21 cells were infected with Autograpa californica multiple nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) at a “theoretical” MOI of 1.0 and a TOI of 3.9 × 107 cells/ml in the microspheres. The AcMNPV polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs) titer reached was 1.76 × 1010 PIBs/ml in the microspheres, which was 58 times higher than that (2.75 × 107 PIBs/ml) in a suspension condition. The immobilised Sf21 cells were infected with a recombinant baculovirus, Ac-omega-GFP baculovirus, and the highest concentration of green fluorescent protein (GFP) produced was 0.0048 mg/ml in suspension culture and 0.159 mg/ml in the microspheres.