[4] Estimation of the number of monoclonal hybridomas in a cell-fusion experiment

This chapter discusses the estimation of the number of monoclonal hybridomas in a cell-fusion experiment. It presents a simple method for the estimation of the proportion of the cultures with dividing cells that are monoclonal. This method is applicable after the population of fused cells has been fractionated into a large number of cultures by limiting dilution. The method is based on the Poisson probability model and assumes that the only information available to the investigator is the number of culture wells with dividing hybridoma cells of the total number of wells planted. The chapter explains the procedure that illustrates that the clonal growth in a culture well depends on the number of hybrid cells surviving in that dish. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider a probability model for the number of surviving hybridomas in a culture well and use the same for the estimation procedure. Such a probability model, owing to the typical nature of the available date (only a single observation representing the number of wells with and without hybridoma growth is available), has to be based on the knowledge of the experimental units (hybrid cells in a suspension and their survival process).