The filtration properties of Atropa belladonna plant cell suspensions cultured at different bioreactor stirrer speeds and gas-phase carbon dioxide levels were measured. Cell cake compressibility did not vary significantly with culture time, shear intensity or carbon dioxide concentration, Average cell cake permeability decreased by c. 70% with increasing stirrer speeds between 400 and 1000 rpm, and could be correlated with concomitant reductions in cell aggregate size. Permeability was more responsible than other culture parameters, such as growth, cell membrane integrity and protein release, to levels of hydrodynamic energy dissipation in the range 10(6)-10(9) J m(-3). Cell cake permeability was significantly affected by carbon dioxide levels of 10 and 15%, but not 2%. Average permeability at 15% CO2 was reduced by c. 50% compared with the air-sparged control culture, even though aggregate size, morphological characteristics and filtered cake compressibility were unaltered. A distinctive pattern of permeability change over the course of the cultures was observed when the reactor conditions were not inhibitory to growth; however, this pattern was destroyed at medium-to-high shear levels and high carbon dioxide concentrations.