Hybridoma Technology: Unit-III Quiz

Hybridoma Technology

• Hybridoma cells are fused cells resulting from the fusion of lymphocytes and tumor cells.
• Hybridoma technology was discovered by Kohler and Milstein in 1975.
• Spleen cells are used in step I for extracting B-lymphocytes.
• In step II, PEG (polyethylene glycol) is added to a culture of myeloma cells.
• Repeated injection of specific antigen (sheep RBCs) in step I is for immunization.
• The main advantage of hybridoma technology is the production of large quantities of monoclonal antibodies.

Hybridoma Cell Culture

• After fusion of B-cell and myeloma cell, the next step is to culture the hybridoma cells.
• B-cells can grow in HAT (Hypoxanthine-Aminopterin-Thymidine) medium while myeloma cells cannot due to a lack of HPRT (Hypoxanthine-guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase) and TK (Thymidine Kinase) enzymes.
• Hybridoma cells are cultured to produce monoclonal antibodies.
• RPMI (Roswell Park Memorial Institute) medium is commonly used for hybridoma cells in monoclonal antibody production.

Monoclonal Antibody Production

• The final step in the production of monoclonal antibodies using hybridoma technology is the purification of antibodies.
• Vaccines are produced in large scale to meet global demand.
• A challenge associated with large-scale production of vaccines is maintaining consistency and quality.
• Chromatography is a common method used for extraction and purification of monoclonal antibodies.
• Electrophoresis is not typically used for extraction and purification of monoclonal antibodies.

Sericulture

• HAT medium is used to select hybridoma cells that produce antibodies.
• Hybridoma cells are injected into lab animals to produce ascites fluid containing high concentrations of antibodies.
• The main purpose of sericulture is to produce silk.
• India is a significant producer of silk, but China is the world's leading producer.
• Sericin makes up approximately 20% of the silk fiber, while fibroin makes up approximately 80%.
• Sericin is a protein that holds the fibroin fibers together.
• Eri, Muga, and Tasar silkworms contribute to non-mulberry sericulture.
• The Government of India supports the silk industry through various initiatives.
• The primary use of silk in the textile industry is for making high-quality clothing.

Mulberry Silk Production

• The first step in the production of mulberry silk is the cultivation of mulberry plants for silkworm feed.
• Mulberry plants are primarily grown in well-irrigated areas.
• Mulberry leaves are harvested manually or mechanically for silkworm feed.
• Humidity is maintained during the silkworm rearing process to prevent dehydration.
• Silkworm larvae are allowed to spin cocoons after reaching maturity.
• The final product obtained from the sericulture process is silk fabric.
• Silk filaments are extracted from the silkworm cocoons through a process called reeling.