HEK cells, also known as HEK293, are human embryonic kidney cells which grow in tissue culture and represent a distinct immortalised cell line. Although HEK cells and CHO cells are both used to create antibodies and for therapeutic protein production, they differ in many aspects, which will be discussed later in this article.

Growing mammalian cells has become a technique of utmost importance to the biotechnology industry. This article will introduce you to the process of mammalian cell culture and highlight several key techniques needed to sustain viable mammalian cells.

Mammalian cell culture is the process of growing cells outside their original tissue. Instead, a growth medium is used for the growth process. In this article, we will give you more details what mammalian cell culture is and what it is used for in industry and basic research in cell biology.