Annals of Neurosciences, Vol 16, No 2 (2009)
Annals of Neurosciences, Volume 16, Number 2, April 2009
A complete culture handbook
Animal Cell Technology : Authored by Asok Mukhopadhyay, published by I.K. International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd., Green Park Extension, New Delhi-110016, pp 380, price Rs 795/-.
Present century is a century of cells. Animal cell biology is being exploited extensively considering needs of various aspects of animal cell technology. This book ‘Animal Cell Technology’ is highly specialized treatise. Although other books have appeared earlier in international market with similar titles, the contents are different. This research based book, in my opinion, is intended for readers who study techniques involving animal cell culture inorderto deliver products of today and have prospects for years to come. The book has been packed with updated research findings on animal cell technology. Since the author has a long association with animal cells research area he is certainly well qualified to undertake the difficult task of producing such a nice book. The entire book has been divided into four sections comprising of a total of 16 chapters.
Chapter 1 in Section 1 introduces readers to organizational/structural design features and special properties of mammalian cells. In Chapter 2 the author presents molecular mechanism involved in animal cell proliferation and cell death. In describing this he has first dealt with animal cell growth phases involved in cell cycle and later how growth regulation is achieved. In this regulation the mechanisms of cell signalling is also described. Animal cells have proliferation, differentiation and death phases. Death of mammalian cells has been stated to occur in two ways; necrosis and apoptosis by programmed manner. Means of detecting necrotic cell death (NCD) and programmed cell death (PCD) and inducing factors are dealt in this chapter effectively.
In Chapter 3 of the same section the reader may notice differences between primary cells, cell strain and cell line. These cells may be used for culture development in manufacturing biological products of industrial/commercial importance. For manufacturing animal cell products the knowledge of preservation of material is required which includes issues of purity in basic cell culture technology and hardwares. In Chapter 4 of section 2 the author has attempted to deal with these to certain extent. For cell cultivation, proper design of culture medium is very important. It plays a vital role for considerations on medium selection, medium constituents taking care of proximate and ultimate principals in which various supplements need to be given first priority. This information has been nicely organised in Chapter 5. In Chapters 6 and 7 the author deals with the needs to begin a productive animal cell culture facility, efficient laboratory design and judicious selection of equipment and infrastructurel requirements in monitoring and regulation of environmental parameters for maximization of product formation.
In Chapter 8 the advantages of a single cell type system for which separation of viable cells of pure/ mono culture is of importance has been explained. Separation based on physical and surface properties of cells are also presented. Chapter 9 of the book brings out the necessity and importance of quantitative analysis of each experiment and interpretation of results. For this various equipment are used in analyzing culture medium thoroughly. Chapter 10 of Section 3 describes that since each single animal cell acts as a production factory for important utilisable product(s) the most crucial need istostabilisethecellintermsof stable and high level gene expression of target product/protein. Chapter 11 and 12 of the same section describe the importance of cellular engineering considerations for production of therapeutics from laboratory scale to large scale in a manufacturing process. In transferring laboratory scale data to large scale production study on scale up criterion in bio reactors is important in terms of transport phenomenon involving animal cell culture bio processing. For facilitating transport phenomenon in terms of oxygen mass transfer to respiring cells what type of bio reactor is most suitable chapter 12 deals with the same.
Chapter 13 of Section 4 provides that based upon the knowledge of previous sections, development of several advanced cell culture technologies have occurred and many are yet to come up. As for example embryonic and adult stem cells, cloning and gene therapy, regenerative medicines are few to name. Readers of the book may learn their importance. Also present trend and future perspectives as presented by the author, one may feel the importance of animal cell technology in sophistication of life. Inclusion of a summary Para at the end of each chapter of all sections is helpful to understand the content in brief. Finally, the pages of Glossary and Index in the book will help the readers of the book.
This book, in my opinion, will be a welcome addition to many bookshelves, libraries and the author needs to be congratulated for bringing out this up to date research based book.
S.N. Mukhopadhyay
Professor, D.B.E.B
I.I.T, Delhi
doi : 10.5214/ans.0972.7531.2009.160212
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