Developing effective baculovirus-insect culture systems. Insect cell culture methods and their use in virus research. Comparison of mammalian and insect cell cultures. protein production and processing from baculovirus. Development and testing of genetically improved baculovirus insecticides. Fundamentals of baculovirus-insect cell attachment and infection. Development and evaluation of host insect cells. Bioreactor design and scale-up issues. The effect of hydrodynamic forces on insect cells. Commercial application of insect cell culture. Baculovirus-mediated production of proteins in insect cells. Potential application of insect cell-based expression systems in the bio/pharmaceutical industry.

The third edition of this volume expands upon the previous two editions with new and up-to-date methods and protocols. Chapters include step-by-step procedures involved in quantifying cell growth, baculovirus infection and cell metabolism, methods to isolate new cell lines and develop your own serum-free medium, and routine maintenance and storage of insect cell lines and baculoviruses, small- and large-scale recombinant protein production with the BEVS in both insect and mammalian cell culture and in insect larvae, production and characterization of baculoviruses, green fluorescent protein, tubular reactors and RNAi, and baculovirus/insect cell system to study apoptosis and generating envelop-modified baculovirus for gene delivery into mammalian cells. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Baculovirus and Insect Cell Expression Protocols, Third Edition aims to not only aid the user in successfully completing the tasks described, but also stimulate the development of improved techniques and new applications of baculoviruses and insect cell culture.

This book provides an overview on the basics in insect molecular biology and presents the most recent developments in several fields such as insect genomics and proteomics, insect pathology and applications of insect derived compounds in modern research. The book aims to provide a common platform for the molecular entomologist to stimulate further research in insect molecular biology and biotechnology. Insects are one of the most versatile groups of the animal kingdom. Due to their large population sizes and adaptability since long they attract researchers’ interest as efficient resource for agricultural and biotechnological purposes. Several economically important insects such as Silkworms, Honey Bee, Lac and Drosophila or Termites were established as invertebrate model organisms. Starting with the era of genetic engineering, a broad range of molecular and genetic tools have been developed to study the molecular biology of these insects in detail and thus opened up a new horizon for multidisciplinary research. Nowadays, insect derived products are widely used in biomedical and biotechnology industries. The book targets researchers from both academia and industry, professors and graduate students working in molecular biology, biotechnology and entomology.

The past decade has witnessed an explosion of information on the molecular biology of insect viruses and a frenzy of activity in applying this information to medicine and agriculture. Genetically engineered baculoviruses are presently being tested for commercial use as pesticides, and the study of such viruses is also revealing remarkable insights into basic cellular processes such as apoptosis. This comprehensive volume provides readers with knowledge of basic and applied baculovirology so that current literature in the field can be appreciated.

Baculoviruses have proven to be the most powerful and versatile eukaryotic expression vectors available. This unique laboratory manual is designed to help both beginning and experienced researchers construct and use baculovirus vector systems. It simplifies selection of the most appropriatebaculovirus vector design for a given problem, then describes each step of the implementation process--from vector construction to large-scale protein production. The book provides an understanding of how the vectors work; a biological overview of cells, viruses, plasmids, and promoters; guidelinesfor choosing optimum vectors; protocols for growing insect cells and recombinant viruses; methods of analyzing protein products and scaling up protein production; techniques for producing proteins in insect larvae; and easy-to-use maps charting available expression vectors. This comprehensiveapproach has many benefits for researchers and students alike. It allows them to understand how and why the vector system works and offers a rapid comparison of options for choosing the right virus, plasmid or promoter for vector design and construction, with a minimum amount of lost time. Themanual is an invaluable resource for every individual engaged in the production of proteins for any purpose.

Baculoviruses are perhaps unique among viruses in the breadth of their biotechnological applications: these insect specific viruses are used not only for insect pest management purposes, but also as laboratory research tools for production of recombinant proteins and for protein display, and as potential vectors for human gene therapy. In addition to highlighting recent advances, this volume provides a comprehensive review of the biotechnological applications of these and other insect viruses in both the academic and private sectors.

Since the introduction of recombinant human growth hormone and insulin a quarter century ago, protein therapeutics has greatly broadened the ho- zon of health care. Many patients suffering with life-threatening diseases or chronic dysfunctions, which were medically untreatable not long ago, can attest to the wonder these drugs have achieved. Although the ?rst generation of p- tein therapeutics was produced in recombinant Escherichia coli, most recent products use mammalian cells as production hosts. Not long after the ?rst p- duction of recombinant proteins in E. coli, it was realized that the complex tasks of most post-translational modi?cations on proteins could only be ef?ciently carried out in mammalian cells. In the 1990s, we witnessed a rapid expansion of mammalian-cell-derived protein therapeutics, chie?y antibodies. In fact, it has been nearly a decade since the market value of mammalian-cell-derived protein therapeutics surpassed that of those produced from E. coli. A common characteristic of recent antibody products is the relatively large dose required for effective therapy, demanding larger quantities for the treatment of a given disease. This, coupled with the broadening repertoire of protein drugs, has rapidly expanded the quantity needed for clinical applications. The increasing demand for protein therapeutics has not been met exclusively by construction of new manufacturing plants and increasing total volume capacity. More - portantly the productivity of cell culture processes has been driven upward by an order of magnitude in the past decade.