MEDIA CONCENTRATE TECHNOLOGY

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of subgrouping media formulations into stable, compatible components that can then be solubilized at high concentrations (10x to 100x). Concentrated solutions of the ingredient containing subgroups can be used to prepare media formulations. Concentrated culture media formulations (2-10x) or 1x cell culture media can be prepared according to the present invention by mixing a sufficient amount of the concentrated subgroup solutions with a sufficient amount of a diluent (water, buffer, etc.). The present invention further relates to stabilization of glutamine by complexing or mixing glutamine with divalent metal cations in solution.

Description: MEDIA CONCENTRATE TECHNOLOGY Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of cell culture media and specifically to media ingredients subgrouped selectively into concentrated, compatible formulations. Such concentrated formula¬ tions are stable and can be used to prepare cell culture media. Background of the Invention Cell culture medium provides the nutrients necessary to maintain and grow cells in a controlled, artificial and in vitro environment. Characteristics and compositions .of the cell culture media vary depending on the particular cellular requirements. Important parameters include osmolarity, pH, and nutrient formulations. Media formulations have been used to grow a number of cell types including animal, plant and bacterial cells. Cells grown in culture media cata- bolize available nutrients and produce useful biologi¬ cal substances such as monoclonal antibodies, hor¬ mones, growth factors and the like. Such products have therapeutic applications and, with the advent of reco binant DNA technology, cells can be engineered to produce large quantities of these products. Thus, the ability to grow cells in vitro is not only important for the study of cell physiology, it is necessary for the production of useful substances which may not otherwise be obtained by cost-effective means. Cell culture media formulations have been well documented in the literature and a number of media are commercially available. Typical nutrients in cell culture media include amino acids, salts, vitamins, trace metals, sugars, lipids and nucleic acids. Often, particularly in complex media compositions, stability problems result in toxic products and/or lower effective concentrations of required nutrients, thereby limiting the functional life-span of the culture media. For instance, glutamine is a constitu¬ ent of almost all media that are used in culturing of mammalian cells in vitro. Glutamine decomposes spontaneously into pyrrolidone carboxyiic acid and ammonia. The rate of degradation can be influenced by pH and ionic conditions but in cell culture media, formation of these breakdown products cannot be avoided (Tritsch ______________, Exp. Cell Research 28:360- 364(1962)) . Wang et al. fin Vitro 14 . : (8) :715-722 (1978) ) have shown that photoproducts such as hydrogen peroxide, which are lethal to cells, are produced in Dulbecco'ε Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) . Riboflavin and tryptophan or tyrosine are components necessary for formation of hydrogen peroxide during light exposure. Since most mammalian culture media contain riboflavin, tyrosine and tryptophan, toxic photoproducts are likely produced in most cell culture media. To avoid these problems, researchers make media on an "as needed" basis, and avoid long term storage of the culture media. Commercially available media, typically in dry power form, serves as a convenient alternative to making the media from scratch, _________, adding each nutrient individually, and also avoids some of the stability problems associated with liquid media. However, only a limited number of commercial culture media are available, except for those custom formulations supplied by the manufacturer. Although dry powder media formulations may increase the shelf-life of some media, there are a number of problems associated with dry powdered media, especially in large scale application. Production of large media volumes requires storage facilities for the dry powder media, not to mention the specialized media kitchens necessary to mix and weigh the nutrient components. Due to the corrosive nature of dry powder media, mixing tanks must be periodically replaced. There exists a need to lower the cost of produc¬ tion of biological substances. Efficient and cost effective methods to stabilize liquid cell culture media as well as the development of convenient methods to produce lx media formulations would be an important development in the field of cell culture media tech¬ nology. Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of subgrouping media formulations into stable, compatible components that can then be solubilized at high concentrations (lOx to lOOx) in solution containing, for example, water, acid, alkali or alcohol, depending on the subgroup. Any media formation can be divided into one or more of the six subgroups of the present invention. Specific subgroups include an acid soluble subgroup, a glutamine containing subgroup, an alkali soluble subgroup, an alcohol soluble subgroup, a weak acid-base soluble subgroup and a supplement-containing subgroup. According to the present invention, one of ordinary skill in the art may divide ingredients of a cell culture media into one of the subgroups of the present invention based on the physical and chemical properties (physicochemical properties) of each ingredient. Ingredients of culture media typically include amino acids, salts, vitamins, trace metals, sugars, lipids, nucleic acids and the like. These ingredients have different solubility and stability characteristics. Based on these characteristics, a classification scheme has been developed to permit the compatible subgrouping of media ingredients. The invention thus relates to a method of sub¬ grouping compatible media ingredients. Media ingredi¬ ents, subgrouped in this manner, are stable and remain soluble even at high concentrations. Such concentrated solutions of the ingredient containing subgroups can the be used to prepare diluted media formulations suitable for growing or maintaining cells. Concentrated culture media formulations (2- lOx) or lx cell culture media can be prepared according to the present invention by admixing sufficient amount of the concentrated subgroup solutions with a sufficient amount of a diluent (water, buffer, etc.). Thus, the present invention is directed to a method of preparing a cell culture media comprising: (a) dividing the compatible ingredients of a cell culture media into one or more subgroups, such subgroups comprising: (i) an acid soluble subgroup, (ii) a weak acid-base soluble subgroup, (iii) a glutamine-containing subgroup, (iv) an alcohol soluble subgroup, (v) an alkali-soluble subgroup, and (vi) a supplement-containing subgroup; (b) dissolving each of the subgroups . of compatible ingredients in a carrier to give concentrated solutions of the subgroup in the respective carrier; and (c) admixing a sufficient amount of each of the subgroups obtained in step (b) with a sufficient amount of a diluent to produce the cell culture media. Furthermore, the present invention is specifically directed to a method of preparing RPMI- 1640 media comprising: (a) dividing the ingredients of RPMI-1640 media into (i) an acid soluble subgroup, (ii) a weak acid-base soluble subgroup, and (iii) a glutamine-containing subgroup; (b) dissolving each of the subgroups of compatible ingredients in a carrier to give concentrated solutions of the subgroup in the respective carrier; and (c) admixing a sufficient amount of each of the subgroups obtained in step (b) with a sufficient amount of a diluent to produce the RPMI-1640 media. This method can also be used to make DMEM media. That is, the ingredients of DMEM media can be divided into an acid soluble subgroup, a weak acid-base soluble subgroup and a glutamine-containing subgroup which are combined at some later time and diluted to give a lx formulation. The present invention further relates to stabili¬ zation of glutamine by complexing or mixing glutamine with divalent metal cations in solution. Thus, the present invention is also directed to a composition of matter comprising glutamine and a divalent cation in an amount effective to stabilize the glutamine. Unexpectedly, the present invention provides for the preparation of media at dramatically reduced cost. The cost reductions are due to the following factors: The media concentrates of the present invention may be produced with much smaller production facilities since the large stir tanks required for lx medias are not required. In addition, the media concentrates of the present invention may be prepared on an as needed 2basis using "just in time" production techniques which reduce inventory, storage and labor costs. The time required for the preparation and shipping of the media may be reduced from 6-8 weeks to as little as one day. In addition, the media concentrate's of the present invention may be prepared without the use of ball milling machines since each of the subgrouped ingredients is readily soluble. In addition, the media subgroups of the present invention may be stored at room temperature which eliminates the need for refrigeration. In addition, the present invention allows for the preparation of concentrates which may be used to prepare very large quantities of lx media (100,000 liters or greater) which require only one quality control test compared to multiple quality control tests for multiple batches produced according to the prior art. Importantly, the media concentrates of the present invention are much more consistent between batches since the subgrouped components are more stable. Thus, the present invention is a great advance in the art of media formulation. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows L-glutamine stabilization in solution. Various ratios of L-glutamine to divalent cations were tested and the stability of L-glutamine was determined. Figure 2 shows the monitored pH and osmolarity over time of RPMI-1640 media prepared by the continuous admixture of a sufficient amount of concentrated subgroups with a sufficient amount of water to make a lx media formulation. Figure 3 shows the monitored level of L-glutamine and glucose over time. The samples were taken from a mixing chamber during the continuous admixture of concentrated subgroups with water. Figure 4 shows a kit comprising large containers containing concentrated subgroups. The concentrated subgroups may be admixed and diluted to give a total of 10,000 liters of media. Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the description that follows, a number of terms conventionally used in the field of cell culture media are utilized extensively. In order to provide a clear and consistent understanding of the specification and claims, and the scope to be given such terms, the following definitions are provided. Ingredients. The term "ingredients" refer to any compound, whether of chemical or biological origin, that can be used in cell culture media to maintain or promote the growth or proliferation of cells. The terms "component", "nutrient" and "ingredient" can be used interchangeably and are all meant to refer to such compounds. Typical ingredients that are used in cell culture media include amino acids, salts, metals, sugars, lipids, nucleic acids, * hormones, vitamins, fatty acids, proteins and the like. Other ingredients that promote or maintain growth of cells in vitro can be selected by those of skill in the art, in accordance with the particular need. Cell Culture. By "cell culture" is meant cells or tissues that are maintained, cultured or grown in an artificial, in vitro environment. Culture Vessel. Glass, plastic or metal containers of various sizes that can provide an aseptic environment for growing cells are termed "culture vessels." Cell Culture Media. The phrases "cell culture media" or "culture media" or "media formulation" refer to a nutritive solution for culturing or- growing cells. The ingredients that compose such media may vary depending on the type of cell to be cultured. ' In addition to nutrient composition, osmolarity and pH are considered important parameters of culture media. Compatible Ingredients. Each ingredient used in cell culture media has unique physical and chemical characteristics. By "compatible ingredients" is meant those media nutrients which can be maintained in solution and form a "stable" combination. A solution containing "compatible ingredients" is said to be "stable" when the ingredients do not degrade or decompose substantially into toxic compounds, or do not degrade or decompose substantially into compounds that can not be utilized or catabolized by the cell culture. Ingredients are also considered "stable" if degradation can not be detected or when degradation occurs at a slower rate when compared to decomposition of the same ingredient in a lx cell culture media formulation. Glutamine, for example, in lx media formulations, is known to degrade into pyrrolidone carboxyiic acid and ammonia. Glutamine in combination with divalent cations are considered "compatible ingredients" since little or no decomposition can be detected over time. Compatibility of media ingredients, in addition to stability measurements, are also determined by the "solubility" of the ingredients in solution. The term "solubility" or "soluble" refers to the ability of an ingredient to form a solution with other ingredients. Ingredients are thus compatible if they can be maintained in solution without forming a measurable or detectable precipitate. Thus, the term "compatible ingredients" as used herein refers to the combination of particular culture media ingredients which, when mixed in solution either as concentrated or lx formulations, are "stable" and "soluble." lx Formulation. A cell culture media is composed of a number of ingredients and these ingredients vary from media to media. A "lx formulation" is meant to refer to any aqueous solution that contains some or all ingredients found in a cell culture media. The "lx formulation" can refer to, for example, the cell culture media or to any subgroup of ingredients for that media. The concentration of an ingredient in a lx solution is about the same as the concentration of that ingredient found in the cell culture formulation used for maintaining or growing cells. Cell culture media used to grow cells is a lx formulation by definition. When a number of ingredients are present (as in a subgroup of compatible ingredients) , each ingredient in a lx formulation has a concentration about equal to the concentration of those ingredients in a cell culture media. For example, RPMI 1640 culture media contains, among other ingredients, 0.2 g/1 L-arginine, 0.05 g/1 L-asparagine, and 0.02 g/1 L- aspartic acid. A "lx formulation" of these amino acids, which are compatible ingredients according to the present invention, contains about the same concentrations of these ingredients in solution. Thus, when referring to a "lx formulation," it is intended that each ingredient in solution has the same or about the same concentration as that found in the cell culture media being described. The concentrations of media ingredients in a lx formulation are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art, See Methods For Preparation of Media, Supplements and Substrate For Serum-Free Animal Cell Culture Alan R. Lisε, N.Y. (1984) , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The osmolarity and/or pH, however, may differ in a lx formulation compared to the culture media, particularly when fewer ingredients are contained by the lx formulation. lOx Formulation. A "lOx formulation" refers to a solution wherein each ingredient in that solution is about 10 times more concentrated than the same ingredient in the cell culture media. RPMI 1640 media, for example, contains, among other things, 0.3 g/1 L-glutamine. By definition, a "lOx formulation" contains about 3.0 g/1 glutamine. A "lOx formulation" may contain a number of additional ingredients at a concentration about 10 times that found in the lx culture media. As will be apparent, "25x formula¬ tion," "50x formulation" and "lOOx formulation" designate solutions that contain ingredients at about 25, 50 or 100 fold concentrations, respectively, as compared to a lx cell culture media. Again, the osmolarity and pH of the media formulation and concentrated formulation may vary. A. Media Concentrate Technology The Media Concentrate Technology of the present invention is based on the subgrouping of media ingredients into stable, compatible components that can then be solubilized into concentrated formulations (10X-100X) by the dissolution in an appropriate quantity of a carrier such as water, aqueous acid, alcohol or aqueous alkali, depending on the particular subgroup. Such solutions are referred to herein as a "carrier". Under appropriate conditions, these subgroups can be reconstituted (admixed) to produce a concentrated (greater than lx) cell culture media formulation, such as a 2x to lOx, or reconstituted directly to a lx cell culture media formulation. The concentrate media technology of the present invention is related to the subgrouping of compatible components, production of liquid concentrates of such subgroups, and mixing sufficient amounts of these concentrated subgroups with a sufficient amount of a diluent to produce a desired media formulation. Cell culture media formulations are made up of amino acids, salts, vitamins, trace metals, sugars, lipids, nucleic acids, etc. Each of these components has different solubility and stability properties. Amino acids, for example, (except for glutamine) are soluble and very stable under acidic conditions (pH of about 1.0) while vitamins (except for thiamine and ascorbic acid) are solubilized under dilute acid or alkaline conditions (pH of about >4.0). Based on the physical properties of media ingredients, a classification scheme was developed that permits the subgrouping of any media formulation which can be used to prepare stable liquid concentrates. The present invention defines six subgroups in which compatible ingredients from any cell culture media can be divided. The ingredients of a given cell culture media formulation can be separated into at least one of the subgroups defined by the present invention. Each subgroup, containing the compatible media ingredients, can then be dissolved in a liquid carrier or maintained in dry form. The type of liquid carrier and the method used to dissolve the grouped ingredients into solution vary depending on the subgroup and can be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art with no more than -routine experimentation. Preferably, the solutions comprising the subgrouped ingredients are more concentrated than the concentration of the same ingredients in a lx media formulation. The grouped ingredients are preferably 25 fold more concentrated (25x formulation) and most preferably 50 fold more concentrated (5Ox formulation) . Higher concentrated formulations can be made provided that the ingredients remain soluble and stable. Once the media ingredients have been divided into the one or more of the six subgroups and prepared as separate concentrated solutions, an appropriate (sufficient) amount of each concentrate is combined with a diluent to produce a lx media formulation. Typically, the diluent used is water but other solu¬ tions including aqueous buffers, aqueous saline solution, or other aqueous solutions containing particular media ingredients may be used according to the invention. The culture media of the present invention is typically sterilized to prevent unwanted contamination of the cell culture media. Sterilization may be accomplished, for example, by pasteurization after admixing the concentrated ingredients to produce a sterile culture media. Alternatively, each concen¬ trated subgroup may be sterilized and stored as a sterile solution. These sterile concentrates can then be mixed with a sterile diluent to produce a concentrated lx sterile media formulation. One of a number of commonly used sterilization techniques may be used to sterilize the concentrated subgroups or the media formulations of the "' present invention. Sterilization techniques will vary depend¬ ing on the properties of the solutions to be sterilized. Typical sterilization techniques, accord¬ ing to the present invention, include heat and/or filter sterilization. Other types of sterilization will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. B. Type of Media Any type of cell culture media can be made according to the present invention. Culture media formulations are well-known in the literature and a number are commercially available. New media formula¬ tions and known media formulations which have been modified can also be prepared according to the present invention. That is, the media ingredients can be divided into compatible subgroups as defined in the present invention. The subgroups of these ingredients can then be concentrated in solution and, if desired, sterilized. Examples of cell culture media that can be prepared according to the present invention include, but are not limited to, DMEM, RPMI-1640, DMEM/F12, ' IMDM, MEM, M199, McCoy's 5A, and F12 Nutrient Mixture (GIBCO/BRL CATALOGUE & PREFERENCE GUIDE (1990)) . The present invention thus provides a means for making one or more concentrated solutions of compatible ingredients, which when sufficient amounts are mixed in combination with sufficient amounts of diluent, a cell culture media may be produced. Any ingredient employed in a cell culture media can be divided into one or more of the six subgroups of the present invention. Although the list of ingredients described herein and contained by each subgroup may not be all-inclusive, one of skill in the art can easily determine, by knowing the physicoche ical properties of the ingredient, which subgroup contains other ingredients compatible to that ingredient. Alternatively, if the properties of the new ingredient are not known, routine experimentation can be used to determine the preferred subgroup. For example, each subgroup containing particular media ingredients as defined according to the present invention, can be supplemented with the new ingredient. The new ingredient will be compatible with a particular subgroup when the resultant concentrated solution is soluble and stable. By comparing experimental media preparations to control media not made according to the media concentrate technology, one of skill may further determine the preferred subgroup. Growth characteristics of cells, formation of toxic products, and shelf-life of the media may be used as indicators of compatible ingredients. Particular ingredients that have unique physicochemical properties may, in some situations, not be compatible with the ingredients of any subgroup. In such a case, it may be necessary to maintain this component as a separate subgroup. Such ingredients may be added to the diluent in an appropriate concentration so that a desired lx culture media (containing this ingredient) is produced when sufficient amounts of the concentrated subgroups are admixed with the diluent. Alternatively, the incompatible ingredient can be added as a separate concentrated solution. Thus, the present -invention envisions the development of additional subgroups, other than those defined in the present invention, which stabilize and solubilize additional ingredients which may not be compatible with any subgroups defined herein. It will be apparent from the list of ingredients designated for each subgroup described below that a number of ingredients can be included in more than one subgroup. When a particular ingredient is designated aε compatible with two or more subgroups, that ingredient can be included in one or more of these subgroups at various concentrations, as long as the total amount of that ingredient conforms to the final media formulation. The only limitation is that the amount of ingredient added does not adversely ' affect solubility or stability of the other ingredients in the particular subgroup. The number and types of subgroups necessary to prepare different media may vary according to media complexity and/or the physicochemical properties of the ingredients. The duplication of ingredients in more than one subgroup thus provides one of ordinary skill in the art with a versatile classification scheme to prepare any media. C. Acid Soluble Subgroup Media ingredients placed in the acid soluble subgroup comprise all amino acids (except glutamine) , thiamine, ascorbic acid, ferric compounds, ferrous compounds, purines, glutathione and monobasic sodium phosphates. These components are soluble in acid (pH of about 0 to 1.0) and are very stable under these conditions. Both D and/or L-amino acids may be included in the acid-soluble subgroup of the present invention. Typically, culture medium contain the L-amino acids. As required by the desired media formulation, one or more amino acids in any combination may be included in the acid-soluble subgroup, with the exception of glutamine. Glutamine is specifically included in the glutamine-containing subgroup. Thus, the amino acids that may be included in the acid-soluble subgroup of the present invention, depending on the requirements of the desired culture media, include glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, serine, threonine, cysteine, cystine, methionine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, arginine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, proline, hydroxyproline, histidine, and tryptophan. Derivatives of amino acids may also be included in the acid-soluble group provided that the derivative is compatible with the other ingredients of this subgroup and with the maintenance or proliferation of the particular cell culture. Other ingredients which may be included in the acid-soluble subgroup of the present invention include thiamine (vitamin B^ , ascorbic acid (vitamin C) , purineε (guanine and adenine) and glutathione. Derivatives of such compounds are well-known and may be included in the acid-soluble group, provided that the physicochemical properties have not been changed to the extent that the derivative is no longer compatible with the other ingredients included in this subgroup and with the maintenance or proliferation of the particular cell culture. Ferric and ferrous compounds, if required by the media formulation, may be placed into this subgroup as well. Such ferric and ferrous compounds, " that are stable and soluble in the presence of the other ingredients included in this subgroup, can easily be determined by one of skill in the art. Examples of such ferrous or ferric compounds include, but are not limited to, Fe(N0 3 ) 3 , FeS0 4 , and FeCl 3 . Any monobasic phoεphate which iε a component of the desired media formulation can be contained within the acid-soluble subgroup. Examples of typical phosphateε include, but are not limited to, monobasic phosphates such as NaH 2 P0 4 and KH 2 P0 4 . The acid-soluble subgroup of the present inven¬ tion may contain various combinations of the above- noted compatible ingredients, as required by the particular culture media. Thus, according to the classification scheme of the present invention, the ingredients found in the desired culture media are selected which are compatible in an acid solution. Once divided in this manner, these ingredients, typically in dry powder form (dehydrated) , are dissolved in an acidic solution with a pH of about 0 to 1.0. Preferably, the resulting solution is concen¬ trated (lOx to lOOx) . That is, the ingredients in the acid solution are more concentrated then the same ingredients found in a lx media formulation. As will be apparent, the concentrated acid- soluble subgroup may vary slightly in composition, osmolarity and pH from preparation to preparation of the same media. Furthermore, the acid-soluble sub¬ group will also differ from one media to the next. This is true for the other subgroupε as well. The preεent invention provideε the means to produce a εtable preparation containing acid-εoluble media ingredients. Such-a preparation can be maintained aε a dry powder mix of ingredientε but preferably are maintained as a concentrated solution. Typically, the concentrated solution comprising the acid soluble subgroup is sterilized by one of a number of well- known techniques. D. Glutamine Containing Subgroup Glutamine is considered an unstable component in liquid media (Tritsch, G.L. et al.. Experimental Cell Research 28.:360-364 (1962); Ozturk, S.S. et al.. Biotechnol. Prog. 1:121-128 (1990)). In solution, glutamine decomposes to pyrrolidone carboxyiic acid and ammonia. The advent of media concentrate tech¬ nology according to the present invention provides a procedure for the stabilization of glutamine. Thus, cell culture media that contains glutamine can be made by preparing, in addition to other subgroups, a glutamine-containing subgroup. According to the invention, glutamine (both D and L-forms) can be stabilized in solution by the addition of one or more divalent cations. Any divalent cation, such as Ca +2 , Mg "1"2 , Mn "1"2 , Z +2 , and Cu +2 can be used to stabilize glutamine. A number of readily available salts including, but not limited to, MgCl 2 , CaCl 2 , Ca(N0 3 ) 2 , and MgS0 4 may supply these divalent cations. Thus, any compatible calcium salt, magnesium salt, and/or manganese salt may be included in thiε εubgroup. Such εaltε are typical ingredients of almost any media. Therefore, the divalent salts of the media formulation should be included ' in thiε εubgroup to stabilize glutamine. In situationε where divalent cationε are generally not ingredientε of the desired culture media, divalent cations that do not adversely affect the growth or the maintenance of the cells to be grown should be added to stabilize glutamine in the glutamine-containing subgroupε. The only limitation, however, with regard to the glutamine-containing εubgroup of the invention iε that potaεεium εaltε such as potassium chloride cannot be included in this group. Sodium and magnesium ions decrease the solubility of potassium ions. Additionally, metal saltε of phoεphate cannot be put into this group since Ca + forms an insoluble complex with phosphate, removing Ca 2+ from the solution. The amount of glutamine as required by the particular media is mixed with a sufficient amount of a divalent cation to stabilize glutamine. The ratio of glutamine to divalent cations in this subgroup is preferably about 2:1 (weight to weight) but may range from 2:1 to 2.9:1. The pH of such a solution is also important for stabilizing glutamine. The preferred pH may range from 4.0 to 6.0. The most preferred pH of the glutamine-divalent cation solution is about 5.5. Baεic pHε tend to lower glutamine stability, and thus, if necesεary, pH may be adjuεted with an acid which is compatible with the glutamine containing subgroup, e.g. HC1. When the ratio of glutamine to divalent cation is about 2:1, glutamine formε a stable soluble complex. This complex does not favor the breakdown of glutamine to pyrrolidone carboxyiic acid and ammonia. The glutamine metal complex thus provides a means for supplying this essential nutrient in a stable, soluble liquid form. The ingredients contained in the glutamine- containing subgroup may comprise glutamine, calcium saltε, and/or magnesium salts. D-Ca pantothenate may also be included in the glutamine containing subgroup, as well as sodium chloride. As will be evident, each culture medium prepared according to the present invention may have a preferred osmolarity range. Osmolarity will change, as will the final pH of the culture media, with the amount of acid/base uεed for solubilization of ingredients in each subgroup. One of skill in the art can easily determine the amount of salt, e.g., sodium chloride, necessary to obtain the preferred final osmolarity of the desired culture media by taking into consideration the final pH and volume of each concentrated subgroup required to prepare the media formulation. Such parameters (pH of each subgroup and total salt content) can be easily determined by routine experimentation. For example, the pH of the ingredient containing subgroups can be measured by well-known techniques. The osmolarity of the lx media formulation, prepared by mixing an appropriate volume of these concentrated subgroups allows one of ordinary skill in the art to determine the amount of sodium chloride needed, if any, to adjust the final osmolarity of the culture media. This amount of sodium chloride may be added to the glutamine- containing subgroup to achieve the proper final osmolarity. Most lx media formulations have broad range requirements for final osmolarity and pH and therefore slight variations in subgroup pH and salt concentration are not critical. E. Weak Acid and Base Soluble Subgroup The media ingredients of the weak acid-weak base soluble subgroup (referred to herein as a weak acid- base soluble subgroup) consiεt of εugarε, deoxyribose, ribose, nucleotides, water-soluble vitamins (except for thiamine, ascorbic acid and Ca-pantothenate) riboflavin, salts, e.g., potasεium chloride and sodium chloride, trace metals, lipidε, acetate εaltε, phosphate salts, HEPES, phenol red, pyruvate salts, and buffers. The pH of the weak acid-base subgroup may range from about 4.0-9.0. Dibasic sodium phosphate and some monobasic sodium phosphate may also be grouped here. The combination of dibasic and monobasic " sodium phosphate provides a buffer system for this concentrated subgroup. Adjustment of pH to the solution of this subgroup is preferably made by the addition of sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid, as appropriate, but not potassium hydroxide. The ingredients found in this subgroup are determined, as with all other subgroupε, by the media compoεition. Thus, any combination of the above ingredients may be included in the weak acid-base soluble group. Sugars that are included in this subgroup include any sugar that can be used as a media ingredient and is compatible in combination with one or more of the above ingredients. Such sugar compounds include glucose, galactose, maltose, mannose, etc., and derivatives thereof. Sugarε in this subgroup may also serve as a vehicle for solubilizing lipids, if lipidε are included in thiε έubgroup. Lipids can be solubilized in solution after being desiccated onto a sugar or salt molecule. Briefly, lipids are solubilized in a small volume of ethanol and then slowly dripped onto a dry powder of sugar/salt. The mixture is dried for 3 hours and then ball milled. The sugar-lipid or salt-lipid composition can then be prepared as a concentrate comprising the other ingredients of the weak acid-base subgroup. Any lipid and/or fat εoluble ingredient including, but not limited to, linoleic acid, lipoic acid, choleεterol, calciferol, vitamin A, 2- mercaptoethanol, tween 80, menadione and vitamin E can be desiccated onto a salt or sugar and thus included in this subgroup. Any deoxyribose, ribose or nucleotide may be included in the weak acid and base soluble subgroup according to the present invention. These compounds and their derivatives are well-known. Examples include adenosine and adenosine triphosphate. Again, the only limitation is that the ingredient must be compatible with the other ingredients found in this subgroup. Vitamins in the weak acid-base subgroup may include all water-soluble vitamins and their derivatives except thiamine, ascorbic acid and Ca- pantothenate. Such water-soluble vitamins that may be included in the weak acid-base soluble group include folic acid, biotin, pyridoxine, nicotinic acid, riboflavin, and the like. Trace metalε, uεed in media formulations, are also included in this subgroup. Exampleε of trace metalε include CuS0 4 ., Na 2 Se0 3 , ZnS0 4 , and CoCl 2 ... Trace amountε of other metalε may alεo be included in thiε group. The selection of appropriate trace metalε and the amounts employed may be readily determined by one of ordinary skill in the art. Potasεium chloride, dibaεic sodium phosphate, εodium acetate, phenol red, εodium chloride, HEPES, and sodium pyruvate are also compatible ingredients in the weak acid-base subgroup. Derivatives of any of the compounds can also be employed in this group as long as such derivatives are compatible. Riboflavin may also be placed in this group. Riboflavin is a photosensitizer and is the main nutrient responsible for the generation of hydrogen peroxides through the interaction with histidine, methionine, tyroεine and tryptophan (Griffin, F.M. , et al. , Cancer Reεearch 91:2241-2248 (1981); Wang, R.J. , et al.. In Vitro "_4:715-722 (1978)). By separating riboflavin from the amino acids, a stable concentrated subgroup is created. A component that lends stability to liquid media subgroup comprising riboflavin is pyruvate. Pyruvate interacts with hydrogen peroxide to give acetic acid, carbon dioxide and water (Weil, L. , Gordon, W.G., and Buchert, A.R. , Arch. Biochem. Biophyε. 33:90-109 (1951)). Since hydrogen peroxide iε deleteriouε to cultured cells, membrane proteins, lipids and enzymes, controlling its build-up may be critical in a particular media. Thus, even if the desired media does not require pyruvate, the addition of pyruvate helps to increase the stability of the weak acid-base soluble subgroup and the shelf-life of the media prepared from this subgroup. F. Alcohol Soluble Subgroup Media formulations that contain cholesterol-, steroids, tween 80, fat-soluble vitamins or other hydrophobic components may be concentrated into an alcohol-soluble group. Other hydrophobic compounds may be included in the alcohol-soluble group are well known to those of skill in the art. Any combination of these components can be solubilized in a small volume of ethanol or propylene glycol. Once solubilized, these ingredients are then microfluidized by well known techniques to form small lipid vesicleε (Lidgate et al.. Bio Pharm 2(9) : 28-33 (1989)). Briefly, the microfluidizer (Model 110 Microfluidizer) produces emulsions by combining shear, turbulence, and cavitation forces. Each cycle through the microfluidizer decreases the emulsion's mean droplet size ultimately producing submicron particles that are very stable. Water soluble components can also be trapped into these vesicles and then delivered to the culture media. Fat soluble vitamins including vitamin A, D, E and K may also be included in this subgroup, as well as their derivatives. Steroids and their derivatives including cortisol, progesterone, eεtrogen, testosterone etc. are also included within the alcohol-soluble subgroup. Fatty acids and lipids of the media formulation may be divided into this subgroup. Any fatty acid such as linoleic acid, oleip acid, arachidonic acid etc. fall into this classification. As will be appreciated, any lipid may alεo be included. Exampleε of lipids are lecithin, sphingomyelin and phospholipidε. Lipids (oils) are usually necessary ingredientε in thiε εubgroup since microfluidization requires lipids (oils) to prepare lipid vesicles. In situations where the media formulation requires lipids but not the hydrophobic ingredients of this subgroup, it may be unnecessary to prepare an alcohol-soluble subgroup since such lipids can be included in the weak acid-base soluble group. In the weak acid-base soluble subgroup, lipids are desiccated onto sugars and/or salts. Other media components that may be included in the alcohol-soluble group of the present invention may include tween 80 and 2-mercaptoethanol. G. Alkali-Soluble Subgroups For media components that require an alkaline environment for solubilization (pH 9.0), an alkali soluble subgroup is employed. This subgroup consists of the pyrimidines and purines that are stable and soluble at alkaline pH. These components, when dissolved in NaOH, form sodium salts which are soluble in an aqueous environment. Pyrimidines and their derivatives that are compatible in this alkali subgroup include uracil and thymine. Xanthine and hypoxanthine are examples of purines that may also be include into the alkali soluble subgroup of the present invention. Other ingredients that are stable and soluble in this alkali environment are known by or easily determined by those of skill in the art. H. Supplement-Containing Subgroup As previously εtated, typical medium formulationε comprise amino acids, salts, vitamins, trace metals, sugars, lipids and nucleic acids. However, media are often supplemented with proteins, antibiotics or undefined broths/sera. When such a supplement is required for a particular medium, the supplement can be used directly (e.g. , serum) or made into a concentrate (protein solutionε εuch aε inεulin, tranεferrin and growth factors) . The supplement-containing subgroup can then be combined with the other concentrated εubgroupε to produce the desired media formulation. A number of components that are included in the final media formulation, but not classified as a compatible ingredient in one of the aforementioned subgroups, may be added as one or more separate supplements. Thus, the present invention envisionε the preparation of one or more supplement-containing subgroups that are not compatible in the above-noted subgroups. Such components that fall into the supplement subgroup include serum (fetal, horse, calf, etc.), yeastolate ultrafiltrate, tryptose phosphate broth, protein concentrates (insulin, transferrin, growth factors, hormones, albumin, etc.), antibioticε (gentamicin, penicillin, streptomycin, amphotericin B, etc.), whole egg ultrafiltrate, attachment factors (fibronectin, vitronectin, collagen, laminin, etc.) and NaHC0 3 liquid concentrate (for example, 25x) . Depending on the final media formulation, one of ordinary skill in the art may select appropriate supplements which are compatible. I. Kits The subgroups of compatible ingredients of the invention are ideally suited for preparation of a kit. Such a kit may comprise a carrier means being compart¬ mentalized to receive in close confinement one or more container means such as vials, test tubes, bottles, drums, and the like. Each of said container means comprises one of the individual subgroups of compatible ingredients as defined above. Such subgroups may be hydrated or dehydrated but are typically a concentrated liquid solution. Such solutionε may, according to the invention, be sterile. A first container means may, for example, com¬ prise any combination of media ingredients that are compatible in the acid-soluble subgroup. Compatible ingredients or any combination thereof that are included in the weak acid-base soluble group may be contained in a second container means. A third and fourth container means may comprise any combination of ingredients included in the alkali-soluble subgroup and alcohol-soluble subgroup, respectively. A fifth container means may comprise any combination of ingredients included in the glutamine-containing subgroup as long as divalent cations are included to stabilize the glutamine. A sixth container means may comprise ingredients listed in the supplement- containing subgroup. Other ingredients that are not compatible in the defined subgroups of the invention may be contained in one or more further container means to avoid mixing of incompatible components. The number and types of subgroup containing container means comprising a kit for making a cell culture media may vary depending on the type of media to be prepared. Typically, the kit will contain the respective container means containing the subgroups necessary to make a particular media. However-, additional subgroup containing container means may be included in the kit of the invention so that different media can be prepared by mixing different amounts of various subgroups to make different media formulations. J. Mixing Concentrated Subgroups to Prepare a Culture Media The media concentrate technology of the present invention provides a means to prepare one or more concentrated solutions of compatible ingredients by dividing these ingredients into the subgroups defined above. These subgroups, once prepared as concentrated solutions (greater than lx) , can be combined with a diluent to prepare the desired culture media. The amount of concentrated solution and amount of diluent needed may vary depending on the concentration of each subgroup, the number of εubgroupε and the deεired concentration of the final media. One of ordinary εkill in the art can eaεily determine a sufficient volume of a diluent and a sufficient volume of these concentrated solutions to prepare the desired media. The pH of the resulting culture media can be adjusted by addition of acid or base. The media, however, may not require any adjustment, especially if the pH of each subgroup concentrate is adjusted so that the pH of the prepared media is in the desired range. Osmolarity of the media can also be adjusted after mixing the concentrated solutions with a diluent. Typically, the desired osmolarity "may be predetermined and adjustmentε in the εalt concentration of the concentrated solutions may be made to prepare a final media with the desired osmolarity. K. Uses The present invention provides concentrates that can eaεily be mixed in εufficient amounts with a diluent to prepare a culture media. Mixing these concentrated subgroups can be done on a batch or continuous basis. In a batch syεte , appropriate amountε of the subgroup concentrates can be admixed with a diluent to prepare a single quantity of media. In a continuous syεtem, sufficient amounts of each subgroup concentrate are continuously admixed with sufficient amounts of a diluent in a mixing chamber, while the culture media is continually removed. The obvious advantage of the continuous syεtem is that a single reactor (mixing chamber) can be used to prepare media for a number of culture vesεels or fermentation tankε. In addition, the continuouε preparation of media in thiε manner can be accompliεhed in a cloεed sterile system. According to the present invention, appropriate media concentrates can be prepared for any media and in any quantity. Such concentrates can thus be prepared and supplied commercially or made and used for in-house reεearch. Cuεto ers that obtain prepared concentrates may prepare media in a more cost- effective manner. For example, the life of mixing tanks will be increased εince certain corroεive dry powderε need not be used to prepare media. Also, fewer man-hours may- be needed to prepare the desired culture media. Having now fully described the present invention, the same will be more clearly understood by reference to certain specific examples which are included herewith for purposes of illustration only, and not intended to be limiting of the invention, unlesε εpecified. EXAMPLE I Stabilization of Glutamine with Divalent Cations L-Glutamine was admixed in a solution with varying amounts of calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate at a pH of 5.5. Figure 1 shows that when the ratio of L-glutamine to divalent cations is significantly above 2.5:1, the stability of glutamine decreased. L-Glutamine was assayed by precolumn derivatization with O-phthaldialdehyde and then detected using high performance liquid chromatography (Rajendra, W. J. Liquid Chro at. 10(5) :941-955 (1987)) . At a 2.5:1 glutamine to divalent cation ratio, glutamine remained stable in solution for 24 weeks. Cell culture media containing glutamine also contains divalent cations but due to the interaction of diva¬ lent cations with other amino acids present in the culture media, glutamine waε not εtabilized in lx media formulation and begins to slowly degrade at 4°C with only 65-70% remaining after three weeks. (Sigma Cell Culture Reagentε Catalogue (1991) pg. 202.) . EXAMPLE II Preparation of RPMI-1640 Media RPMI-1640 media iε a media commonly uεed to grow mammalian cells in culture. The pH of this media is about 7.0 and the osmolarity can range from 265 to 300. RPMI-1640 contains amino acids, including L- glutamine, various εaltε, vitamins, sugars, etc. The ingredients found in thiε media are described in GIBCO/BRL Catalogue and Reference Guide, pg. 118, 1990. The ingredients of RPMI-1640 media were divided into a number of compatible subgroups. Once the dry powder compatible ingredients were mixed, a concentrated solution of each subgroup was prepared. An appropriate volume of each of the prepared concentrated subgroups was then used to prepare a lx RPMI-1640 media formulation. Table 1 shows the ingredients of the RPMI-1640 media that were divided into the acid soluble subgroup. The concentrations correεpond to a lx formulation in 1 liter of εolution. To make a lOOx formulation of the acid soluble subgroup, the amount of each ingredient shown in Table 1 was added together to prepare a dry powder mix (DPM) of acid soluble ingredients. For example, 0.2 g of L-arginine, 0.05 g L-asparagine, 0.02 g L-aspartic acid, etc. were added to prepare a dry powder mix totaling 0.69 grams. Aε shown in Table 2, the acid soluble compatible ingredients were mixed with 8.8 ml of water and then HCl was added to give a final pH of 0.85. Thiε required about 1.2 ml of 5N HCl. The reεulting solution was a lOOx formulation of the acid soluble subgroup for RPMI-1640 media. Based on the 1640 media formulation, two additional subgroups were prepared: a glutamine- containing subgroup and a weak acid-base soluble subgroup. Table 3 shows the ingredients added to make a dry powder mix of the glutamine-containing subgroup for RPMI-1640 media. The mixture of ingredients totaling 6.4 g was mixed with about 17.5 ml water to prepare a 20 ml 50x concentrate with a final pH of about 5.5. Table 4 shows the amount of ingredients needed to make 3.25 g of dry powder mix (DPM) for the weak acid- base soluble group. About 19.5 ml water was added to the weak acid-base ingredients to prepare a 20 ml solution with a pH of about 8.3. All ingredients in this subgroup were water soluble and therefore did not require desiccation onto a salt or sugar. Reconstitution of the above-deεcribed acid- soluble subgroup, glutamine-containing subgroup and weak acid-base soluble subgroup waε accompliεhed aε εhown in Table 2 to prepare a lx RPMI-1640 media formulation. NaHC0 3 was added as a separate supplement. The osmolarity of the media was 2 . 76 mOm before filter sterilization. Alternatively, a concentrated solution of NaHC0 3 can also be used rather than adding dry powder NaHC0 3 to the reconstituted media. Table 2 Procedure for Preparation of RPMI-1640 Subgroups Weak Acid-Base Soluble Subgroup (50X Concentrate) Quantity sufficient to make 1 liter 19.5 ml water 3.25 g DPM 20.0 ml Total Volume Final pH = 8.28 Special Instructions: Add DPM slowly to water to avoid solidification of components. Use moderate stirring until dissolved (about 15-20 minutes) . Acid Soluble Subgroup (100X Concentrate) Quantity sufficient to make 1 liter 8.8 ml water 0.69 g DPM 1.20 ml 5N HCl 10.0 ml Total Volume Final pH = 0.85 Special Instructionε: Add 5N HCl εlowly to the stirred solution. Glutamine-Containing Subgroup (50X Concentrate) Quantity sufficient to make 1 liter 17.5 ml water 6.4 g DPM 20.0 ml Total Volume Final pH = 5.50 Special Inεtructionε: Thiε iε an endothermic process. The temperature of the solution will drop about 3-C with the addition of components. Use moderate stirring for about 10-15 minutes or until all components are dissolved. Procedure for Preparing a IX RPMI-1640 Media Formulation: 1. Add subgroup concentrates to water in the following order: A. 950 ml water pH 5.98 B. 20 ml Glutamine-Containing Subgroup pH 5.61 C. 20 ml Weak Acid-Base Soluble Subgroup pH 8.20 D. 10 ml Acid Soluble Subgroup pH 4.91 E. 2.0 g NaHC0 3 pH 7.00 Osmolarity before filtration: 276 m OSm EXAMPLE III Reconstitution of RPMI-1640 Medium Concentrated Subgroups Using a Continuous Feed Mixing Chamber A reconstitution experiment was carried out using RPMI-1640 media concentrate subgroups in the 15L Biospin bioreactor. Three media subgroups at 50X per subgroup and two 25X NaHCO- subgroup were continually pumped into the bioreactor at a rate of 250 ml/hour. Deionized distilled water waε pumped into the reactor at a rate of 12.5L per hour. The perfuεed concentrateε were continually admixed in the mixing chamber. Complete IX medium formulation waε removed from the Bioεpin bioreactor at a rate of 12.5L per hour. The pH of the medium was monitored both internally and externally. Medium parameters (pH, osmolarity, amino acids, glucose, glutamine) were measured throughout the perfusion. The results of the study indicate that RPMI-1640 concentrated subgroups can be reconstituted in the Biospin bioreactor and the resulting IX medium formulation parameters show significant correlation with the RPMI-1640 formulation (Figures 2,3 and Table 5). I K I EXAMPLE IV Preparation of DMEM Media DMEM media (Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (GIBCO/BRL Catalogue and Reference Guide, pg. 96, 1990; Dulbecco, R. et al. Virology 8:396 (1959); and Smith, J.D. et al. Virology 12:185 (1960) was prepared by dividing the ingredients of this media into an acid-soluble subgroup, a glutamine-containing subgroup and a weak acid-base soluble subgroup. The ingredients of DMEM media were divided and prepared as a concentrated subgroups as shown in Tables 6, 7, 8 and 9. A procedure similar to that described in Example II was used. Table 9 also shows the procedure used for mixing and diluting the DMEM subgroups to make a lx formulation of DMEM. NaOH was added to the lx media to adjust the final pH to 7.3. NaHC0 3 was added aε a buffering agent. 1. DMEM High Glucoεe Glutamine-Containing Subgroup 18.1 ml H20 6.3 g DPM 20.0 ml Total Volume pH 5.50 Concentrate 2. DMEM High Glucose Weak Acid-Base Soluble Subgroup 17.0 ml H20 5.4 g DPM 0.7 ml 0.1N NaOH 20.0 ml Total Volume pH 6.60 5 0 X Concentrate 3. DMEM High Glucose Acid Soluble Subgroup 18.5 ml H20 1.1 g DPM 1.5 ml 5N HCl 20.0 ml Total Volume pH 0.80 5 0 X Concentrate Procedure for Preparing a IX DMEM Media Formulation 900.0 ml H20 20.0 ml Glutamine-Containing Subgroup 20.0 ml Weak Acid-Base Subgroup 20.0 ml Acid Soluble Subgroup 3.7 g NaHC03 ADD 5N NaOH to bring pH to 7.30 ADD H20 to bring volume to 1000.0 ml 1000.0 ml Total Volume pH 7.30 IX Formulation Oεmolarity will be 315-340 mOε . Oεmolarity will change with the amount of acid/base used for the solubilization- of components in each εubgroup. If the oεmolarity fallε above the deεired limits an adjustment in the NaCl concentration can be made to lower the osmolarity. EXAMPLE V Preparation of HAM's F-12 Medium HAM'ε F-12 medium (Ham, R.G. , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 5.3:288 (1965)) iε prepared by dividing the ingredients of thiε media into an acid-soluble subgroup, a glutamine-containing subgroup, and a weak acid/base subgroup. The compositions of the respective subgroups are set out in Tables 10, 11 and 12. A procedure similar to that deεcribed in Example II may be used to prepare the media concentrates. Table 10 ACID SOLUBLE SUBGROUP FOR HAM'S F-12 MEDIUM Table 11 GLUTAMINE CONTAINING SUBGROUP FROM HAM'S F-12 MEDIUM Table 12 WEAK ACID/BASE SUBGROUP FOR HAM'S F-12 MEDIUM EXAMPLE VI Preparation of DMEM/F-12 Medium DMEM/F-12 medium (GIBCO/BRL Catalogue and Reference Guide, page 97 (1990)) is prepared by dividing the ingredients of this media into an acid-soluble subgroup, a glutamine-containing subgroup, and a weak acid/base subgroup. The compositions of the respective subgroups are set out in Tables 13, 14 and 15. A procedure similar to that described in Example II may be used to prepare the media concentrates. Table 13 ACID SOLUBLE SUBGROUP FOR DMEM/ F-12 MEDIUM Table 14 WEAK ACID/BASE SUBGROUP FOR DMEM/ F-12 MEDIUM Table 15 GLUTAMINE CONTAINING SUBGROUP FOR DMEM/ F-12 MEDIUM EXAMPLE VII Preparation of IMDM Medium IMDM medium (Dulbecco, R. and Freeman, G., Virology 8 . :396 (1959); Smith, J.D. et al.. Virology .12:185 (I960); Tisεue Culture Standardε Committee, In Vitro j5:2,93; In Vitro .9:6 (1970); Iεcove, N.N. and Melcherε, F. , J. Exp. Med. 147:923) is prepared by dividing the ingredientε of thiε media into an acid- soluble subgroup, a glutamine-containing subgroup, and a weak acid/baεe subgroup. The compositionε of the reεpective subgroups are set out in Tables 16, 17 and 18. A procedure εimilar to that described in Example II may be used to prepare the media concentrates. Table 16 ACID SOLUBLE SUBGROUP FOR IMDM MEDIUM Table 17 WEAK ACID/BASE SUBGROUP FOR IMDM MEDIUM Table 18 GLUTAMINE CONTAINING SUBGROUP FOR IMDM MEDIUM Modifications of the above-described modes for carrying out the invention that are obviouε to persons of εkill in the media and fermentation art and/or related fieldε are intended to be within the εcope of the following claimε. All publicationε and patent applicationε mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which thiε invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the εame extent aε if each individual publication or patent application waε εpecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Although the foregoing invention haε been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modifications may be practice within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: What Is Claimed Is: 1. A method of preparing a cell culture media comprising (a) dividing the ingredients of a cell culture media into one or more compatible subgroups, said compatible subgroupε compriεing: i. an acid εoluble subgroup, ii. a weak acid-base soluble subgroup, iii. a glutamine-containing subgroup, iv. an alcohol soluble subgroup, v. an alkali soluble subgroup, and vi. a supplement-containing εubgroup; and (b) admixing a εufficient amount of each of said subgroups obtained in step (a) with a sufficient amount of a diluent to give said cell culture media. 2. A method of preparing a cell culture media compriεing (a) dividing the ingredients of a cell culture media into one or more compatible subgroups, said compatible groupε comprising i. . an acid soluble subgroup, ii. a weak acid-base εoluble εubgroup, iii. a glutamine-containing subgroup.,. iv. an alcohol-soluble subgroup, v. an alkali-soluble subgroup, and vi. a supplement-containing εubgroup; (b) dissolving each of said subgroupε in a carrier to give concentrated solutions of said subgroupε in the reεpective carrier; and (c) admixing a sufficient amount of each of said subgroupε obtained in step (b) with a sufficient amount of a diluent to give εaid cell culture media. 3. The method of any one of claimε 1 or 2, wherein the cell culture media iε a lOx media formula¬ tion. 4. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the cell culture media is a lx media formula¬ tion. 5. The method of any one of claimε 1 or 2, wherein the cell culture media is a RPMI-1640 media. 6. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the cell culture media is a DMEM media. 7. The method of claim 2, wherein said admixing is accompliεhed in a batch εyεtem. 8. The method of claim 2, wherein εaid admixing is accomplished in a continuous εyεtem. 9. The method of claim 2, wherein the concen¬ trated solutions obtained in step (b) are greater than lOx. 10. The method of claim 2, wherein the concentrated solution obtained in step (b) iε about 50x. 11. The method of claim 2, wherein the concentrated εolution obtained in εtep (b) is about lOOx. 12. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the acid-soluble subgroup comprises ingredients which are stable and εoluble at a pH of about 1. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said subgroup co priεes one or more ingredients selected from the group consiεting of thiamine, ascorbic acid, a ferric salt, a ferrous salt, a phosphate and amino acids other than glutamine. 14. The method of any one of claimε 1 or 2, wherein the weak acid-base soluble subgroup compriseε ingredientε which are εtable and εoluble at a pH of about 4 to 9. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein εaid acid-base soluble εubgroup comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consiεting of a sugar, a deoxyribose, a riboεe, a nucleotide, a trace element, a lipid, phenol red, εodium pyruvate, HEPES, Na 2 HP0 4 , NaCl, KC1, εodium acetate and a water-soluble vitamin other than a thiamine, aεcorbic acid or D-Ca pantothenate. 16. The method of any one of claimε l or 2, wherein the glutamine containing εubgroup compriseε glutamine and at leaεt one divalent cation in an amount effective to εtabilize glutamine. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said diva¬ lent cation is calcium, magnesium, or manganese, or a combination thereof. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the subgroup further comprises sodium chloride, or " D-Ca pantothenate or combinations thereof. 19. The method of any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the alcohol soluble subgroup compriseε one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of cholesterol, linoleic acid, lipoic acid, a fat soluble vitamin, a menadione, 2-mercaptoethanol, a lipid, and a fatty acid. 20. The method of any one of claims l or 2, wherein the alkali soluble subgroup comprises one or more ingredients which are soluble and stable at a pH of about 9.0. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said alkali εoluble subgroup comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of a uracil, a xanthine and a hypoxanthine. 22. A method for preparing a cell culture medium, comprising admixing a sufficient amount of an aqueous diluent with a sufficient amount of at least one subgroup of .ingredients dissolved in a carrier comprising: i. an acid soluble subgroup, ii. a weak acid-base εoluble εubgroup, iii. a glutamine-containing εubgroup, iv. an alcohol-εoluble εubgroup, v. an alkali-soluble subgroup, and vi. a supplement-containing subgroup, to give said cell culture media. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein said admixing is accomplished in a batch system. 24. The method of claim 22, wherein said admixing is accomplished in a continuous system. 25. A method of preparing RPMI-1640 media comprising (a) dividing the ingredients of RPMI-1640 media into subgroups, said subgroupε compriεing i. an acid εoluble εubgroup, ii. a weak acid-base soluble subgroup, and iii. a glutamine-containing subgroup; (b) dissolving each of the subgroups of compatible ingredients in a carrier to give concentrated solutions of the subgroups in the respective carrier; and (c) admixing a sufficient amount of each of the subgroups obtained in step (b) with a sufficient amount of a diluent to produce the RPMI-1640 media. 26. A method of preparing DMEM media comprising (a) dividing the ingredients of DMEM media into subgroups, said subgroups comprising i. an acid soluble subgroup, ii. a weak acid-base soluble subgroup, and iii. a glutamine-containing εubgroup; (b) dissolving each of the subgroupε of compatible ingredients in a carrier to give concentrated solutions of the subgroups in the respective carrier; and (c) admixing a sufficient amount of each of the subgroups obtained in step (b) with a sufficient amount of a diluent to produce the DMEM media. 27. A kit for making a cell culture media, wherein said kit comprises a carrier being compartmentalized to receive in close confinement one or more containers wherein (a) a first container means contains compatible ingredients of an acid εoluble subgroup; (b) a second container eanε containε compatible ingredientε of a weak acid- baεe εoluble subgroup; (c) a third container meanε containε compatible ingredientε of a glutamine- containing εubgroup; (d) a fourth container meanε contains compatible ingredients of an alkali soluble subgroup; (e) a fifth container means contains compatible ingredients of an alcohol soluble subgroup; and (f) a sixth container means containε compatible ingredients of a supplement- containing subgroup. 28. The kit of claim 27, wherein the cell culture media is a RPMI-1640 media. 29. The kit of claim 27, wherein the cell culture media is a DMEM media. 30. The kit of claim 27, wherein said ingredients in at least one of said container means is in solution. 31. The kit of claim 30, wherein said solution is a concentrated solution of said compatible ingredients. 32. The kit of claim 31, wherein said concentrated solution iε about 25x. 33. The kit of claim 31, wherein εaid concentrated εolution iε about 5Ox. 34. The kit of claim 31, wherein εaid concentrated εolution iε εterile. 35. A composition of matter comprising glutamine and a divalent cation in an amount effective to εtabilize glutamine. 36. The composition of matter of claim 35, wherein the glutamine and divalent cation are in solution. 37. The composition of matter of claim 36, wherein the ratio of glutamine to divalent cation iε about 2:1. 38. The composition of matter of claim 36, wherein said divalent cation compriεeε a calcium salt, a magnesium salt or a combination thereof. 39. The composition of matter of claim 36, wherein said solution is sterile. 40. A kit for making RPMI-1640 media, wherein said kit compriseε a carrier being compartmentalized to receive in cloεe confinement therein: (a) a firεt containing meanε containing compatible ingredientε of an acid εoluble subgroup; (b) a second container means containing compatible ingredients of a weak acid-base soluble subgroup; and (c) a third container means containing compatible ingredientε of a glutamine-containing subgroup. 41. A kit for making DMEM media, wherein said kit comprises a carrier being compartmentalized to receive in close confinement therein: (a) a first containing means containing compatible ingredients of an acid soluble subgroup; (b) a second container meanε containing compatible ingredients of a weak acid-baεe soluble subgroup; and (c) a third container means containing compatible ingredientε of a glutamine-containing εubgroup.

Inventors: DISORBO DENNIS M, JAYME DAVID W, DISORBO, DENNIS, M., JAYME, DAVID, W.
Applicants: LIFE TECHNOLOGIES INC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: C12N5
IPC codes: C12N1, C12N5