Learning This Week: Biomanufacturing
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What is Biomanufacturing?
Biomanufacturing is a type of manufacturing that utilizes biological systems like living microorganisms, animal cells, plant cells, tissues, or enzymes, to produce commercially important biomaterials and biomolecules.
These products are used in various industries, including:
Medicine (e.g., biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, growth factors)
Food and beverage processing (e.g., enzymes, amino acids, protein supplements)
Industrial applications (e.g., biodegradable bioplastics, enzymes used as tools)
The cells used in biomanufacturing can be naturally occurring or genetically engineered to produce specific substances.
Biomanufacturing involves advanced cell culture techniques, purification methods like chromatography and filtration, and strict adherence to regulatory guidelines.
Traditional manufacturing, on the other hand, typically relies on chemical processes and non-biological materials. It often involves the synthesis of products through chemical reactions, which can be energy-intensive and may produce harmful byproducts.
Evolution of biomanufacturing
The history of biomanufacturing can be divided into several "revolutions" based on the types of products, production platforms, and research technologies:
Biomanufacturing 1.0: Production of primary metabolites (e.g., butanol, acetone, ethanol, citric acid) using mono-culture fermentation
Biomanufacturing 2.0: Production of secondary metabolites (e.g., penicillin, streptomycin) using dedicated mutants and aerobic submerged liquid fermentation
Biomanufacturing 3.0: Production of large biomolecules like proteins and enzymes (e.g., erythropoietin, insulin, growth hormone) using recombinant DNA technology and advanced cell culture
Biomanufacturing 4.0: Potential focus on new products (e.g., human tissues, artificial starch) and better approaches for existing products, enabled by technologies like metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and in vitro synthetic biosystems
The future of biomanufacturing
Biomanufacturing is a rapidly growing sector, with the biopharmaceutical industry alone expected to grow 10% in the next 5 years. It plays a crucial role in addressing global challenges related to food security, energy sustainability, health issues, and more.
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