Process Flow

It involves growing a small, well-characterized cell culture step-by-step into larger volumes—typically from milliliters to several liters. This controlled scale-up ensures cell consistency, minimizes contamination risks, and allows early detection of any deviations. It’s the bridge between lab-scale development and industrial bioproduction, laying the foundation for high-quality biologics.

Seed trains are used with a variety of cultures, such as bacterial systems, mammalian cell lines or even viral production using host cells. The goal is to expand from a trusted master cell line under sterile conditions, usually starting in a laminar flow cabinet.

The main benefits of using a seed train are enhanced process control, early-stage visibility of contamination or mutations, and reduced financial risk — since any deviations are detected at a small scale before large volumes are lost.