In any biopharmaceutical manufacturing workflow, a continual challenge for developers is the balancing act between meeting timelines and maintaining cost efficiencies while creating a high-quality product. One critical aspect for achieving this balance is utilizing cell culture media and feeds that have been developed to meet the specific metabolic needs of their chosen cell type. Identifying the ideal formulation early in the process can help improve quality and yields. The ideal formulation can also reduce the risk of reformulation and costly delays later down the line, helping streamline operations and scale-up.
It can be challenging to identify which nutrients drive your chosen cell line’s productivity. From screening a wide range of catalog media with a trial-and-error approach to undertaking a complete media development project, this process can often seem resource-intensive and complex.
Optimizing media and feed formulation
Media and feed panels present an efficient solution for manufacturers hoping to accelerate the media development process for a range of different cell lines. These panels consist of ready-to-use, nutritionally diverse formulations, specially designed to simplify the process of identifying the nutritional composition that will boost productivity within a cell culture.
The key here is the diversity of the formulations themselves. By working with a range of different formulations, developers can more easily understand their cell line needs and narrow in on key productivity drivers. Not only can this help avoid the laborious and wasted process of screening multiple media with potentially similar profiles, but working with panels can support optimal cell growth rates and product output.
Choosing a panel-based approach also allows manufacturers to leverage the technical expertise of media scientists. Their knowledge can help developers navigate the panel process, from designing the experimental protocol to understanding the best approach based on the specific project goals and needs of the clone. In addition, these teams are often available to support any further optimization that may be required following the panel evaluation, from data analysis to recommended next steps.
As the industry continues to grow, biopharmaceutical manufacturers face immense pressure to meet market demands swiftly, without compromising on quality. Media and feed panels could play a pivotal role for manufacturers that need to optimize quality and kickstart their development workflow, ultimately supporting the sustainable delivery of life-saving treatments.
Explore further technical insights shared by Erica Wehling (R&D senior manager) and Jennifer Zatina (global product manager) at Thermo Fisher Scientific and learn more about the benefits of a panel-based approach in this Q&A here.
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