School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences

Dr Steve Reid

Honorary Senior Lecturer
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences

Primary research interest

Insect cell technology and biotechnology

Additional role

Co-Deputy Director, Biotechnology Program

Research focus and collaborations

Increased resistance to chemical pesticides and concern over their use has seen renewed interest in the application of biological means to control pests of commercial importance. The Reid Group is involved with the advancement of technology that is necessary to reduce the cost of production of biological control agents. This research is concerned initially with the effective scale-up of insect viruses.

Many wild-type Baculoviruses exist that can specifically infect and kill key agricultural caterpillar pests. Bacloviruses are the largest viruses known (1 micron in diameter), because they wrap their genomes up in large protein coats (Occlusion Bodies). This enables the virus to be stable in the open environment and they are able to be delivered to crops using conventional land and air-based spraying procedures.

Our laboratory has a process patent on a procedure for producing Baculoviruses via fermentation. Our lead product is a Baculovirus which targets the Helicoverpa pest species which accounts for a $US3.2 billion per annum market. At current yields our production costs would allow us to target Helicoverpa pest species in areas where this pest is resistant to most low-cost chemical options ($20/Ha), and where only more expensive chemicals are in use ($30-$50/Ha). Further improvements in yield would allow the product to compete on cost alone in all markets, including extensive markets in India and China.

Research projects

  • Transfection of Host Insect cells with viral proteins aimed at enhancing virus yields.
  • Optimisation of serum-free media and feeds for insect cell technology.

Selected publications

Publications

Book Chapters (5)
Journal Articles (51)
Conference Papers (12)
Patent (1)

Book Chapters

Reid, Steven, De Malmanche, Henry, Chan, Leslie, Popham, Holly and Van Oers, Monique M. (2023). Production of entomopathogenic viruses. Mass production of beneficial organisms: invertebrates and entomopathogens. (pp. 375-406) London, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-822106-8.00020-8
Reid, Steven, Chan, Leslie C. L., Matindoost, Leila, Pushparajan, Charlotte and Visnovsky, Gabriel (2016). Cell culture for production of insecticidal viruses. Microbial-based biopesticides. (pp. 95-117) edited by Travis R. Glare and Maria E. Moran-Diez. New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6367-6_9
Chan, Leslie C. L. and Reid, Steven (2016). Development of serum-free media for lepidopteran insect cell lines. Baculovirus and insect cell expression protocols. (pp. 161-196) edited by David W. Murhammer. New York, NY, United States: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3043-2_8
Reid, Steve, Chan, Leslie and van Oers, Monique M. (2014). Production of Entomopathogenic Viruses. Mass Production of Beneficial Organisms: Invertebrates and Entomopathogens. (pp. 437-482) edited by Juan A. Morales-Ramos, M. Guadalupe Rojas and David I. Shapiro-Ilan. London: Elseiver. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-391453-8.00013-3
Chan, Leslie, Reid, Steven and Nielsen, Lars Keld (2010). Baculovirus kinetics, insect cell culture. Encyclopedia of industrial biotechnology: Bioprocess, bioseparation, and cell technology. (pp. 1-24) edited by Michael C. Flickinger. Hoboken, N.J. USA: John Wiley and Sons. doi: 10.1002/9780470054581.eib584

Journal Articles

de Malmanche, Henry, Hussain, Mazhar, Marcellin, Esteban, Reid, Steve and Asgari, Sassan (2022). Knockout of Dicer-2 in the Sf9 cell line enhances the replication of Spodoptera frugiperda rhabdovirus and conditionally increases baculovirus replication. Journal of General Virology, 103 (8) 001779, 1-18. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001779
Malmanche, Henry, Marcellin, Esteban and Reid, Steven (2022). Knockout of Sf‐Caspase‐1 generates apoptosis‐resistant Sf9 cell lines: implications for baculovirus expression. Biotechnology Journal, 17 (7) 2100532, 2100532. doi: 10.1002/biot.202100532
Nguyen, Quan, Tran, Trinh Tb, Chan, Leslie C. L., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2016). In vitro production of baculoviruses: identifying host and virus genes associated with high productivity. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 100 (21), 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s00253-016-7774-3
Matindoost, Leila, Nielsen, Lars K and Reid, Steve (2015). Intracellular trafficking of baculovirus particles: A quantitative study of the hearNPV/HzAm1 cell and AcMNPV/sf9 cell systems. Viruses, 7 (5), 2288-2307. doi: 10.3390/v7052288
Huynh, Hoai T., Tran, Trinh T. B., Chan, Leslie C. L., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2015). Decline in Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus occlusion body yields with increasing infection cell density in vitro is strongly correlated with viral DNA levels. Archives of Virology, 160 (9), 2169-2180. doi: 10.1007/s00705-015-2478-z
Huynh, Hoai T., Tran, Trinh T. B., Chan, Leslie C. L., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2014). Effect of the peak cell density of recombinant AcMNPV-infected Hi5 cells on baculovirus yields. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 99 (4), 1687-1700. doi: 10.1007/s00253-014-6260-z
Matindoost, Leila, Hu, Hao, Chan, Leslie C. L., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2014). The effect of cell line, phylogenetics and medium on baculovirus budded virus yield and quality. Archives of Virology, 159 (1), 91-102. doi: 10.1007/s00705-013-1789-1
Nguyen,Quan, Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2013). Genome scale transcriptomics of baculovirus-insect interactions. Viruses, 5 (11), 2721-2747. doi: 10.3390/v5112721
Nguyen, Quan, Chan, Leslie C. L., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2013). Genome scale analysis of differential mRNA expression of Helicoverpa zea insect cells infected with a H. armigera baculovirus. Virology, 444 (1-2), 158-170. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2013.06.004
Huynh, Hoai T., Tran, Trinh T. B., Chan, Leslie C. L., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2013). Decline in baculovirus-expressed recombinant protein production with increasing cell density is strongly correlated to impairment of virus replication and mRNA expression. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 97 (12), 5245-5257. doi: 10.1007/s00253-013-4835-8
Matindoost, Leila, Chan, Leslie C. L., Qi, Ying Mei, Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2012). Suspension culture titration: A simple method for measuring baculovirus titers. Journal of Virological Methods, 183 (2), 201-209. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2012.04.015
Huynh, Hoai T., Chan, Leslie C. L., Tran, Trinh T. B., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2012). Improving the robustness of a low-cost insect cell medium for baculovirus biopesticides production, via hydrolysate streamlining using a tube bioreactor-based statistical optimization routine. Biotechnology Progress, 28 (3), 788-802. doi: 10.1002/btpr.1529
Nguyen, Quan, Palfreyman, Robin W., Chan, Leslie C. L., Reid, Steven and Nielsen, Lars K. (2012). Transcriptome sequencing of and microarray development for a Helicoverpa zea cell line to investigate in vitro insect cell-baculovirus interactions. PLoS One, 7 (5) e36324, e36324.1-e36324.15. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036324
Tran, Trinh T.B., Dietmair, Stefanie, Chan, Leslie C.L., Huynh, Hoai T., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2012). Development of quenching and washing protocols for quantitative intracellular metabolite analysis of uninfected and baculovirus-infected insect cells. Methods, 56 (3), 396-407. doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2011.11.009
Roberts, G. Seth, Yu, Sam, Zeng, Qinglu, Chan, Leslie C. L., Anderson, Will, Colby, Aaron H., Grinstaff, Mark W., Reid, Steven and Vogel, Robert (2012). Tunable pores for measuring concentrations of synthetic and biological nanoparticle dispersions. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 31 (1), 17-25. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2011.09.040
Nguyen, Quan, Qi, Ying Mei, Wu, Yang, Chan, Leslie C. L., Nielsen, Lars K. and Reid, Steven (2011). In vitro production of Helicoverpa baculovirus biopesticides: Automated selection of insect cell clones for manufacturing and systems biology studies. Journal of Virological Methods, 175 (2), 197-205. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2011.05.011
Pedrini, Marcia R. S., Reid, Steven, Nielsen, Lars K. and Chan, Leslie C. L. (2011). Kinetic characterization of the group II helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus propagated in suspension cell cultures: Implications for development of a biopesticides production process. Biotechnology Progress, 27 (3), 614-624. doi: 10.1002/btpr.602
Pedrini, Márcia R. S., Christian, Peter, Nielsen, Lars K., Reid, Steven and Chan, Leslie C. L. (2006). Importance of virus–medium interactions on the biological activity of wild-type Heliothine nucleopolyhedroviruses propagated via suspension insect cell cultures. Journal of Virological Methods, 136 (1-2), 267-272. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2006.04.007
Da Silva Pedrini, M. R., Chan, L. C. L., Nielsen, L. K. and Reid, S. (2006). In vitro production of Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology: an international journal, 49 (SPEC. ISS.), 35-41.
Pedrini, Marcia R. S., Nielsen, Lars K., Reid, Steven and Chan, Leslie C. L. (2005). Properties of a unique mutant of Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus that exhibits a partial many polyhedra and few polyhedra phenotype on extended serial passaging in suspension cell cultures. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal, 41 (8-9), 289-297. doi: 10.1290/0503019R.1
Da Silva Pedrini, Márcia Regina, Wolff, José Luiz Caldas and Reid, Steve (2004). Fast accumulation of few polyhedra mutants during passage of a Spodoptera frugiperda multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (Baculoviridae) in Sf9 cell cultures. Annals of Applied Biology, 145 (1), 107-112. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2004.tb00365.x
Lua, L. H. L. and Reid, S. (2003). Growth, viral production and metabolism of a Helicoverpa zea cell line in serum-free culture. Cytotechnology, 42 (3), 109-120. doi: 10.1023/B:CYTO.0000015795.46813.44
Lua, L. H. L., Nielsen, L. K. and Reid, S. (2003). Sensitivity of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus polyhedra to sodium dodecyl sulfate. Biological Control, 26 (1), 57-67. doi: 10.1016/S1049-9644(02)00116-0
Somodevilla-Torres, Maria J., Morton, Halle, Zhang, Bing, Reid, Steven and Cavanagh, Alice C. (2003). Purification and characterisation of functional early pregnancy factor expressed in Sf9 insect cells and in Escherichia coli. Protein Expression And Purification, 32 (2), 276-287. doi: 10.1016/j.pep.2003.08.011
Lua, Linda H. L., Pedrini, Marcia R. S., Reid, Steven, Robertson, Ashley and Tribe, David E. (2002). Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus serially passaged in cell culture. Journal of General Virology, 83 (4), 945-955. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-83-4-945
Rosinski, Matthew, Reid, Steven and Nielsen, Lars Keld (2002). Kinetics of baculovirus replication and release using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Biotechnology And Bioengineering, 77 (4), 476-480. doi: 10.1002/bit.10126
Chan, Leslie C. L., Young, Paul R., Bletchly, Cheryl and Reid, Steven (2002). Production of the baculovirus-expressed dengue virus glycoprotein NS1 can be improved dramatically with optimised regimes for fed-batch cultures and the addition of the insect moulting hormone, 20-Hydroxyecdysone. Journal of Virological Methods, 105 (1), 87-98. doi: 10.1016/S0166-0934(02)00084-8
Lua, L. H. L. and Reid, S. (2000). Virus morphogenesis of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus in Helicoverpa zea serum-free suspension culture. Journal of General Virology, 81 (10), 2531-2543. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-81-10-2531
Rosinski, M, Reid, S and Nielsen, LK (2000). Osmolarity effects on observed insect cell size after baculovirus infection are avoided using growth medium for sample dilution. Biotechnology Progress, 16 (5), 782-785. doi: 10.1021/bp000083n
Jang, JD, Sanderson, CS, Chan, LCL, Barford, JP and Reid, S (2000). Structured modeling of recombinant protein production in batch and fed-batch culture of baculovirus-infected insect cells. Cytotechnology, 34 (1-2), 71-82. doi: 10.1023/A:1008178029138
Sanderson, C. S., Barford, J. P., Barton, G. W., Wong, T. K. and Reid, S. (1999). A structured, dynamic model for animal cell culture: application to baculovirus/insect cell systems. Biochemical Engineering Journal, 3 (3), 219-229. doi: 10.1016/S1369-703X(99)00019-4
Chakraborty, S., Monsour, C., Teakle, R. E. and Reid, S. (1999). Yield, biological activity, and field performance of a wild-type Helicoverpa nucleopolyhedrovirus produced in H. zea cell cultures. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 73 (2), 199-205. doi: 10.1006/jipa.1998.4825
Zheng, YZ, Hyatt, A, Wang, LF, Eaton, BT, Greenfield, PF and Reid, S (1999). Quantification of recombinant core-like particles of bluetongue virus using immunosorbent electron microscopy. Journal of Virological Methods, 80 (1), 1-9. doi: 10.1016/S0166-0934(98)00170-0
Chakraborty, S and Reid, S (1999). Serial passage of a Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus in Helicoverpa zea cell cultures. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 73 (3), 303-308. doi: 10.1006/jipa.1999.4848
Chan, LCL, Greenfield, PF and Reid, S (1998). Optimising fed-batch production of recombinant proteins using the baculovirus expression vector system. Biotechnology And Bioengineering, 59 (2), 178-188. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0290(19980720)59:2<178::AID-BIT6>3.0.CO;2-E
Radford, Kathryn M., Cavegn, Catherine, Bertrand, Martine, Bernard, Alain R., Reid, Steven and Greenfield, Paul F. (1997). The indirect effects of multiplicity of infection on baculovirus expressed proteins in insect cells: Secreted and non-secreted products. Cytotechnology, 24 (1), 73-81. doi: 10.1023/A:1007962903435
Nielsen, LK, Reid, S and Greenfield, PF (1997). Cell cycle model to describe animal cell size variation and lag between cell number and biomass dynamics. Biotechnology And Bioengineering, 56 (4), 372-379. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0290(19971120)56:4<372::AID-BIT3>3.0.CO;2-L
Qi, Y. M., Greenfield, P. F. and Reid, S. (1996). Evaluation of a simple protein free medium that supports high levels of monoclonal antibody production. Cytotechnology, 21 (2), 95-109. doi: 10.1007/BF02215660
Wong, KTK, Peter, CH, Greenfield, PF, Reid, S and Nielsen, LK (1996). Low multiplicity infection of insect cells with a recombinant baculovirus: The cell yield concept. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 49 (6), 659-666. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0290(19960320)49:6<659::AID-BIT7>3.0.CO;2-N
Power, JF, Reid, S, Greenfield, PF and Nielsen, LK (1996). The kinetics of baculovirus adsorption to insect cells in suspension culture. Cytotechnology, 21 (2), 155-163. doi: 10.1007/BF02215665
Zheng, YZ, Webb, R, Greenfield, PF and Reid, S (1996). Improved method for counting virus and virus like particles. Journal of Virological Methods, 62 (2), 153-159. doi: 10.1016/S0166-0934(96)02100-3
Power, JF, Reid, S, Radford, KM, Greenfield, PF and Nielsen, LK (1994). Modeling and Optimization of the Baculovirus Expression Vector System in Batch Suspension-Culture. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 44 (6), 710-719. doi: 10.1002/bit.260440607
Shen B., Greenfield P. and Reid S. (1994). Calcium alginate immobilized hybridomas grown using a fluidized-bed perfusion system with a protein-free medium. Cytotechnology, 14 (2), 109-117. doi: 10.1007/BF00758175
Shen B.Q., Greenfield P.F. and Reid S. (1994). Hybridoma cells in a protein-free medium within a composite gel perfusion bioreactor. Cytotechnology, 16 (1), 51-58. doi: 10.1007/BF00761779
Wong, Tkk, Nielsen, LK, Greenfield, PF and Reid, S (1994). Relationship Between Oxygen-Uptake Rate and Time of Infection of Sf9 Insect Cells Infected with a Recombinant Baculovirus. Cytotechnology, 15 (1-3), 157-167. doi: 10.1007/BF00762390
Shen, Bing Q., Reid, Steven and Greenfield, Paul F. (1993). Examination of polysaccharides for their uses in hybridoma cell culture. Biotechnology Techniques, 7 (3), 193-198. doi: 10.1007/BF02566146
Nielsen, LK, Niloperbowo, W, Reid, S and Greenfield, PF (1992). Avoiding Rapid Growth At High Cell Densities - a Potentially Important Optimization Criterion for Hybridoma Cultures. Cytotechnology, 9 (1-3), 21-27. doi: 10.1007/BF02521728
Power, J, Greenfield, PF, Nielsen, L and Reid, S (1992). Modeling the Growth and Protein-Production by Insect Cells Following Infection by a Recombinant Baculovirus in Suspension-Culture. Cytotechnology, 9 (1-3), 149-155. doi: 10.1007/BF02521742
Newland M., Greenfield P.F. and Reid S. (1990). Hybridoma growth limitations: The roles of energy metabolism and ammonia production. Cytotechnology, 3 (3), 215-229. doi: 10.1007/BF00365485
Reid S. and Greenfield P.F. (1990). Studies on hybridoma and insect cells in suspension culture.. Australian journal of biotechnology, 4 (2), 135-141.
Clausen J.A., Reid S. and Randerson D.H. (1988). A competitive inhibition ELISA as a probe for studying the refolding of human serum albumin.. Australian journal of biotechnology, 2 (2), 152-155.

Conference Papers

Nguyen, Quan, Prasath, Daniel B., Palfreyman, Robin W., Nielsen, Lars K., Chan, Leslie C. L. and Reid, Steven (2011). Optimising in vitro production of baculovirus biopesticides – a transcriptomics approach to establish a platform for expression analysis and bioengineering of virus and insect cells. Chemeca 2011: Australasian Conference on Chemical Engineering, Sydney, Australia, 18-21 September 2011. Barton, ACT, Australia: Engineers Australia.
Lua, Linda H. L. and Reid, Steven (2005). The importance of cholesterol for insect cell growth and baculovirus production. 18th Meeting of the European Society of Animal Cell Technology (ESACT), Granada, Spain, 11-14 May 2003. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/1-4020-3103-3_111
Haas, R, Reid, S and Nielsen, LK (2005). Effects of multiplicity of infection (MOI) and cell cycle on baculovirus infection kinetics. 18th Meeting of the European-Society-of-Animal-Cell-Technology (ESACT), Granada Spain, May 11-14, 2003. DORDRECHT: SPRINGER.
Lua, L. H. L. and Reid, S. (2003). The importance of cholesterol for insect cell growth and baculovirus production. European Society for Animal Cell Technology 2003, Granada, Spain, 2003. Spain: European Society for Animal Cell Technology.
Lua, Linda H. L. and Reid, Steven (2003). Effect of time of harvest of budded virus on the selection of baculovirus FP mutants in cell culture. Washington, DC 20036 USA: Amer Chemical Soc. doi: 10.1021/bp025577u
Greenfield, P. F., Reid, S., Weiss, S., Christian, P. and Scholz, B. (1999). Baculoviruses as biological control agents: research, production and commercial issues. APBioChEC '99, Phuket, Thailand, 15-18 November. Thailand: Thai Society for Biotechnology.
Lua, H. L. and Reid, S. (1999). Challenges posed by in vitro production of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus for use as a biopesticide. APBioChEC '99, Phuket, Thailand, 15-18 November. Thailand: Thai Society of Biotechnology.
Waiprib, Y., Greenfield, P. F. and Reid, S. (1999). Effect of serum and primatone RL additives on the production of Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus using Helicoverpa zea cells in suspension culture. APBioChEC '99, Phuket, Thailand, 15-18 November 1999. Thailand: Thai Society for Biotechnology.
Chakraborty S., Greenfield P. and Reid S. (1996). In vitro production studies with a wild-type Helicoverpa baculovirus. Kluwer Academic Publishers. doi: 10.1007/BF00353942
Reid, S, Greenfield, PF, Power, J, Radford, KM, Nielsen, LK, Wong, TKK and Peter, C (1995). The use of very low multiplicities of infection with the baculovirus expression vector system. ESACT/JAACT Meeting on Animal Cell Technology - Developments Towards the 21st-Century, Veldhoven Netherlands, Sep 12-16, 1994. DORDRECHT: KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL.
Nielsen, LK, Wong, Tkk, Power, J, Reid, S and Greenfield, PF (1994). Using Oxygen Uptake Rates to Time Infections in the Baculovirus Expression Vector System. 6th International Meeting of the Japanese-Association-for-Animal-Cell-Technology; Animal Cell Technology - Basic and Applied Aspects, Nagoya Japan, Nov 09-12, 1993. DORDRECHT: KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL.
Nielsen, LK, Niloperbowo, W, Reid, S and Greenfield, PF (1991). Modeling Growth of and Antibody-Production by Hybridomas in Glutamine Limited Suspension-Cultures. 10Th Meeting of the European Soc for Animal Cell Technology : Production of Biologicals From Animal Cells in Culture, Avignon France, 1990. OXFORD: BUTTERWORTH-HEINEMANN.

Patent

Lua, Linda and Reid, Steven (2005). Method of producing baculovirus. WO2005/045014 A1.