Kairui Biotech: Specializing in Serum-Free Mammalian Cell Culture Technology to Empower New Drug R&D Across the Industry

Serum-free culture technology for mammalian cells is now widely applied in basic biomedical research as well as in the development and production of biopharmaceutical products.

Compared with traditional serum-containing adherent cell culture, serum-free cell culture technology offers prominent advantages:I., which better avoids quality variations between serum batches and improves the reproducibility of cell culture and experimental results;II., thereby avoiding the cytotoxic effects of serum and contamination by serum-derived pathogens;III., and it can also avoid the influence of unidentified components in serum on experimental research;IV., which is beneficial for controlling the differentiation of cells in vitro.

This foundational technology, now widely adopted across the industry, was first developed in the early 1980s byDr. Jennie MatherDeveloped by American scientists.

Dr. Jennie Mather has made significant contributions to the fields of cell culture, cell biology, and antibody-based novel drug development. During her tenure at Rockefeller University in the United States, she published the world’s first monograph on serum-free cell culture technology and hosted the first global training course on serum-free cell culture techniques at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. While working at Genentech, a renowned genetic engineering company, she led the development of the world’s first large-scale serum-free suspension culture system for CHO cells used as production vectors for recombinant protein therapeutics, and designed serum-free cell culture media for the manufacturing of multiple protein drugs within the company.

Founder of Kairui BiotechDr. Li RonghaoHaving begun to master serum-free cell culture techniques in 1984, I furthered my studies at Dr. Jennie Mather’s laboratory at Genentech in the United States in 1992. There, I underwent comprehensive postdoctoral training in serum-free cell culture, process development for protein therapeutic manufacturing, and novel antibody drug discovery, gradually becomingDr. Mather’s Successor in Serum-Free Culture TechnologyDr. Li has fully inherited and advanced traditional serum-free cell culture technologies, making significant contributions to serum-free cultivation techniques for various cell types, including protein expression vector cells, stem cells, and primary cells.

In the same year, another co-founder of Kairui BiotechMr. Wu JunHe also pursued graduate studies in the United States. After obtaining a degree in pharmacology, he engaged in new drug research and development at Pharmacia, Pfizer, and Amgen. Mr. Wu Jun has extensive experience in the application of cell biology technologies and possesses profound expertise in their use within biomedical research.

Photo of Kairui Biotech Co-Founders (Dr. Ronghao Li, Dr. Jennie Mather, Mr. Jun Wu)

Having worked extensively in the field of cell biology for many years, both individuals recognized the commercial potential of serum-free cell culture technology. At that time, however, there was no corresponding market for Chinese domestic brands, as the development technology for domestically produced serum-free cell culture media was relatively backward and the product lines were extremely limited. “Serum-free cell culture technology has a wide range of application scenarios. Having been deeply engaged in this field with internationally leading technical capabilities, we believed we could introduce this technology back to China to establish an independent Chinese brand for serum-free cell culture technology,” said Mr. Wu Jun.

In 2014, Dr. Li Ronghao and Mr. Wu Jun joined forces, together with Dr. Jennie Mather, to establish Zhuhai Kairui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Kairui Biotech”). The company is dedicated to the comprehensive development of serum-free culture media and related technical products for various cell types, providing comprehensive solutions for serum-free cell culture needs across nearly all fields, including immune cell therapy, stem cell applications, monoclonal antibody production, human and animal vaccine manufacturing, viral vector production for gene therapy, and basic medical research.

Kairui Biotech Serum-Free Cell Culture Media Products

Serum-free cell culture technology can be widely applied in various scenarios within the biopharmaceutical industry, including the research and development (R&D) and production of monoclonal antibodies and recombinant protein therapeutics, the development of antibodies and antigens for diagnostic reagents, the R&D and production of recombinant protein vaccines and viral vaccines, cell preparation for stem cell and immune cell therapies, and basic biomedical research. Currently, Kairui Biotech focuses primarily onMonoclonal Antibodies, Recombinant Proteins, and Recombinant and Viral VaccinesDevelopment and Application of Serum-Free Cell Culture Technology in Three Major Scenarios, Active Product Development in the Fields of Cell Therapy and Gene Therapy, and Comprehensive Layout of the Serum-Free Cell Culture Technology Product Pipeline.

InMonoclonal Antibody DevelopmentKairui Biotech provides a comprehensive suite of reagent systems, including antigen preparation, cell fusion and screening, clone selection, monoclonal antibody preparation, serum-free adaptation of hybridoma cells, and high-density suspension culture, significantly reducing the time required for customers to obtain serum-free production-ready monoclonal antibodies. Meanwhile, the company also offers high-quality monoclonal antibody development services for various applications, helping customers improve their product development efficiency.

InRecombinant Antibody and Protein ExpressionIntroducing genes encoding exogenous proteins into mammalian cells to establish stable cell lines is currently the primary approach for large-scale production of recombinant monoclonal antibodies and recombinant protein products. Kairui Biotech provides a comprehensive reagent system for establishing CHO cell lines with stable expression, including high-density serum-free chemically defined cell culture media, chemical transfection reagents, cloning selection media, process development media, and feeds. Additionally, we offer services for constructing stable expressing cell lines and optimizing and screening serum-free culture media, supporting customers in the successful development of recombinant monoclonal antibody and recombinant protein products.

Meanwhile, Kairui Biotech has established business operations in areas such as vaccine production cell line development and serum-free culture, primary mammalian cell culture, and serum-free cell culture for cell and gene therapy. The company will sequentially launch a range of supporting reagents for serum-free culture to meet market demand.

Currently, Kairui Biotech’s serum-free cell culture technology product line has essentially completed its layout across all key sectors, boasting independent brand advantages with technological leadership capable of fully replacing imported products. By offering high-performance, high-quality products developed in-house alongside rapid and reliable professional technical services, the company helps users completely eliminate their dependence on imported products and technologies, striving to become the domestic leader in serum-free cell culture technology.

Recently, Kairui Biotech has also launched a new round of financing, aiming to raise RMB 50 million. The funds will be primarily used to expand the company’s scale and operations, including the exploration of new fields.