Perfluorochemicals and cell biotechnology

Abstract

Perfluorochemical (PFC) liquids have properties, especially high gas solubility, which make these compounds useful in medicine and biotechnology. PFCs are being employed to facilitate respiratory gas supply to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and, in some systems, to improve biomass production and yields of commercially-important cellular products. Animal (including human) and plant cells have also been cultured at the interface between PFC liquids and aqueous culture medium, while fluorocarbon polymers have been employed as gas-permeable membranes in eukaryotic cell cultures. This paper presents an overview of the applications and beneficial effects of PFCs in microbial, animal and plant culture systems. PFCs have been compared with other physical and chemical options for manipulating respiratory gas supply to cultured cells. PFC-facilitated improvements in cell culture technology will have increasingly important biotechnological implications.