Cell Culture and Fermentation: Master the Fundamentals of Bioprocess Engineering

Question 1

Which parameter is not essential for describing the growth kinetics of mammalian cell cultures?

Accepted Answer

Volumetric productivity of metabolites

Answer

Population doubling time

Answer

Cell viability

Answer

Specific growth rate

Question 2

In a batch fermentation, the substrate concentration:

Accepted Answer

Decreases exponentially

Answer

Increases exponentially

Answer

Remains constant

Answer

Increases linearly

Question 3

Which type of bioreactor is primarily used for large-scale production of microbial products?

Accepted Answer

Stirred-tank bioreactor

Answer

Packed-bed bioreactor

Answer

Airlift bioreactor

Answer

Hollow-fiber bioreactor

Question 4

What is the primary function of the impeller in a stirred-tank bioreactor?

Accepted Answer

Mixing

Answer

Aeration

Answer

Temperature control

Answer

pH adjustment

Question 5

What is the function of a sparger in a fermentation process?

Accepted Answer

Oxygen supply

Answer

Temperature control

Answer

Agitation

Answer

pH monitoring

Question 6

The primary function of a sparger in a bioreactor is to:

Accepted Answer

Introduce oxygen into the culture

Answer

Enhance culture mixing

Answer

Control pH levels

Answer

Regulate temperature

Question 7

The optimal pH for mammalian cell growth in culture typically ranges approximately from:

Accepted Answer

6.8-7.2

Answer

5.0-6.0

Answer

8.0-9.0

Answer

10.0-11.0

Question 8

When determining the optimal temperature for cell growth in fermentation, a key factor to consider is:

Accepted Answer

Enzyme activity

Answer

Oxygen solubility

Answer

Buffer capacity

Answer

Substrate availability

Question 9

Which of the following metabolic pathways is NOT utilized by mammalian cells in culture?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Glycolysis

Answer

Glutaminolysis

Answer

Citric acid cycle

Question 10

In a chemostat culture, when is the relationship between the specific growth rate (µ) and dilution rate (D) linear?

Accepted Answer

Exponential growth phase

Answer

Stationary growth phase

Answer

Death phase

Question 11

Which type of cell culture involves cells growing on a solid surface?

Accepted Answer

Attached culture (adherent)

Answer

Suspension culture

Answer

Monolayer culture

Answer

Batch culture

Question 12

What is the function of a sparger within a bioreactor?

Accepted Answer

Introducing oxygen into the culture medium

Answer

Controlling pH and temperature

Answer

Mixing the culture and preventing sedimentation

Answer

Monitoring cell growth and product formation

Question 13

Which measurement represents the rate of cell growth in culture?

Accepted Answer

Doubling time

Answer

Lag phase duration

Answer

Stationary phase cell density

Answer

Exponential growth phase duration

Question 14

What is the primary purpose of using a seed culture in fermentation processes?

Accepted Answer

Providing a starter population of cells for the main fermentation

Answer

Optimizing growth conditions and acclimating cells

Answer

Testing the sterility of the fermentation medium

Answer

Monitoring the progress of the fermentation

Question 15

What is the main function of serum in cell culture medium?

Accepted Answer

Providing essential nutrients, growth factors, and hormones

Answer

Regulating pH and osmotic balance

Answer

Preventing contamination and cell damage

Answer

Stimulating cell proliferation and differentiation

Question 16

Which growth rate characterizes a batch fermentation process?

Accepted Answer

Exponential

Answer

Constant

Answer

Linear

Answer

Logarithmic

Question 17

Select the most common type of bioreactor used for large-scale production of therapeutic proteins:

Accepted Answer

Stirred-tank bioreactor

Answer

Airlift bioreactor

Answer

Fluidized-bed bioreactor

Answer

Hollow-fiber bioreactor

Question 18

Identify the purpose of cell synchronization:

Accepted Answer

Obtaining a synchronized cell population in a specific cell cycle phase

Answer

Maximizing cell growth rate

Answer

Increasing cell viability

Answer

Reducing cell heterogeneity

Question 19

Indicate the primary function of a sparger in a bioreactor:

Accepted Answer

Oxygen supply to the culture

Answer

Culture mixing

Answer

pH control

Answer

Waste product removal

Question 20

In bioprocess engineering, which metric is paramount in evaluating the economic viability of a process?

Accepted Answer

Return on investment (ROI)

Answer

Capital investment

Answer

Product sales revenue

Answer

Operational expenses

Question 21

In cell culture, what is the main purpose of utilizing a serum-free medium?

Accepted Answer

To minimize contamination risks and reduce batch-to-batch variability

Answer

To induce cellular differentiation

Answer

To promote enhanced cell proliferation

Question 22

For large-scale fermentation processes, which type of bioreactor is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Stirred-tank bioreactor

Answer

Hollow-fiber bioreactor

Answer

Airlift bioreactor

Answer

Fluidized-bed bioreactor

Question 23

In fermentation, what is the main reason for limiting oxygen availability?

Accepted Answer

To enhance the yield of the desired product

Answer

To minimize foaming

Answer

To improve the efficiency of mixing within the fermenter

Answer

To promote increased cell growth

Question 24

Which method is commonly employed for large-scale cell harvesting in fermentation processes?

Accepted Answer

Centrifugation

Answer

Filtration

Answer

Precipitation

Question 25

In fermentation processes, what is the purpose of dissolved oxygen (DO) probes?

Accepted Answer

To monitor and regulate oxygen levels in the culture

Answer

To measure and determine cell concentration

Answer

To adjust and control pH levels

Answer

To detect and indicate foaming

Question 26

Which characteristic is distinctive to batch fermentation?

Accepted Answer

All essential nutrients are added at the beginning of the process

Answer

High cell density throughout the process

Answer

Significant variation in product concentration over time

Answer

Continuous feeding of nutrients during fermentation

Question 27

In fermentation, what is the primary function of a sparging system?

Accepted Answer

To provide oxygen to the cell culture

Answer

To regulate temperature within the fermenter

Answer

To facilitate the removal of waste products

Question 28

In fermentation processes, why is it important to use chemically defined media?

Accepted Answer

To ensure consistent product quality and reduce batch-to-batch variability

Answer

To promote enhanced cell growth and productivity

Answer

To reduce production costs and increase profitability

Answer

To simplify downstream processing and purification