Insect cell tissue cultures can potentially be used for the production of viral insecticides and for the production of proteins obtained from recombinant DNA that can not be made in bacterial or yeast cells. A practical large scale insect tissue culture system is not yet available and if it were, it could have immense economic implications for the production of the above materials. This proposal seeks to develop a novel bioreactor suitable for the cultivation of insect cells that is also amenable to scale-up while providing a high level of control over the microenvironment. The proposed work is truly innovative and novel and meets the criteria for Expedited Awards for Novel Research (see attached AD/ENG Bulletin No. 85-25). The PIs are considered to be quite capable of carrying out the proposed research and I strongly recommend that this proposal be funded in accordance with the budget submitted with the proposal.
