In one sentence, what is the value of participating in this subcommittee?
Engage with a wide range of national expertise on scaling fermentation to commercially meaningful levels.
What challenge or opportunity is your subcommittee currently focused on?
The opportunity and challenge are to document and share how commercially successful fermentation scale up is currently accomplished.
What accomplishment or impact from your subcommittee are you most excited about so far?
The subcommittee is close to completing and publishing guidelines for fermentation scale up. This effort elevated and brought forward the depth of expertise that resides in the membership.
What’s next for the subcommittee, and how can members get involved?
The subcommittee initially focused on the scale up of bioreactors. The next thing is to take a look at the best practices associated with supporting activities that are important at the commercial level. Examples of important supporting activities include inoculation, media, operating modes, cleaning and sterilization.
What problem will this subcommittee’s work help members solve?
For companies thinking about commercializing, the work we do will help them get to the most economical solution faster by understanding the options they have.
What perspectives or experiences have made the subcommittee discussions stronger?
The subcommittee has a broad diversity of organizations representing perspectives from multiple industries and companies that have been doing commercial fermentation for decades as well as emerging companies with new bioprocesses. Companies and organizations providing services, products and facilities to assist in commercialization are also active participants.
What would you say to a BioMADE member who is considering joining but isn’t sure they have the right expertise?
Everyone has different areas and levels of expertise. The important thing is the willingness to participate and collaborate with other members to both learn and create something that can be shared with the rest of the biomanufacturing community.