The Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) was recently featured by WRAL News and Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN) for our collaborative research funded by BioMADE. 

In biomanufacturing, “scaling up” is notoriously difficult. A process that works perfectly at the benchtop scale often fails and requires extensive troubleshooting when scaling up to massive industrial tanks. As BTEC’s Manager of Bioprocess Automation, Ryan Barton, PhD, told WRAL: “When a batch fails, that’s millions of dollars down the drain.”

To solve this, BTEC’s team developed a new statistical framework that would make process development cheaper, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. The project also included in-line product monitoring using Raman spectroscopy, which demonstrated reduced interference when compared to other advanced spectral sensors. 

Research Significance

• Predictability when scaling: BTEC researchers successfully scaled a process from 1 mL to 30 L, a 30,000-fold increase, with accuracy within 10% for biomass and product yield.
• Reduced Waste: By more accurately predicting the scaled process behavior, significant amounts of water, electricity, and raw materials are saved due to fewer intermediate process development runs and fewer failed batches at scale.
• Democratizing process improvement: BTEC’s process improvement research will be available within the BioMADE member community, unlike typical industry knowledge which is kept confidential.

Read the Full Features

• WRAL Article & Video Feature: How NC State researchers are finding ways to make medicines cheaper — and cleaner
• Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN): Biomanufacturing Framework for Scaling and In-Line Monitoring