Described herein is a chemostat-like continuous
cell culture
system that combines certain advantages of
perfusion open systems and chemostat open systems to improve the culturing of mammalian cells, e.g., genetically modified cells, particularly in serum-free or chemically-defined media. The continuous culture
system described herein involves culturing mammalian cells in a continuous
cell culture
system, which comprises a
cell retention device, wherein the
cell culture system has a
dilution rate (D) of less than about 2 d−1, and a
cell density of less than about 2×107 cell / mL. Also described herein is a method for producing a polypeptide and / or
virus of interest in a continuous
cell culture, the method comprising culturing mammalian cells expressing the polypeptide and / or
virus of interest in a continuous
cell culture system, which comprises a cell retention device, wherein the cell culture system has a
dilution rate (D) of less than about 2 d−1, and a
cell density of less than about 2×107 cell / mL; and recovering the polypeptide and / or
virus of interest from medium of the cell culture system.