ABSTRACT
Among the eukaryotic organisms, the animal cells are consolidated as basic tools for the production of proteins with therapeutic applications. The steady progress in the design and generation of novel expression vectors and cell lines, the remarkable improvements in the composition of the culture medium and in the area of process control, made feasible the production of recombinant proteins on a large scale. One of the pivotal factors that determines the success of the first phase in a biotechnological process lies in the correct selection of the expression vector, host cell, and culture medium. Moreover, the genetic manipulation of the first two and the choice of the appropriate method for transfection and genetic amplification may influence positively the specific cellular productivity. In this respect, this chapter presents the basic fundamentals and the practical concepts that have to be considered in the initial stage – cloning and expression – of a biotechnological process based on animal cells.
