D. Chattopadhyay et al., THERMODYNAMIC APPROACH TO EXPLAIN CELL-ADHESION TO AIR-MEDIUM INTERFACES, Biotechnology and bioengineering, 48(6), 1995, pp. 649-658
Cell damage has been observed in suspension cell cultures with air spa
rging, especially in the absence of any protective additives. This dam
age is associated with cells adhering to bubbles, and it has been show
n that if this adhesion is prevented, cell damage is prevented. This a
rticle presents a thermodynamic approach for predicting cell adhesion
at the air-medium interface. With this relationship it can be shown th
at cell-gas adhesion can be prevented by lowering the surface tension
of the liquid growth medium through the addition of surface-active pro
tective additives. The thermodynamic relationship describes the change
in free energy as a function of the interfacial tensions between the
(i) gas and liquid phases, (ii) gas and cell phases, and (iii) liquid
and cell phases. Experimental data, along with theoretical and empiric
al equations, are used to quantify the changes in free energy that pre
dict the process of cell-gas adhesion. The thermodynamic model is nons
pecific in nature and, consequently, results are equally valid for all
types of cells. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.