Genetic Engineering News Reports on Future of Steel in Age of Bioprocess Disposables.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Popular single-use bioprocessing systems are undoubtedly taking market share from conventional glass and steel stirred reactors, reports Genetic Engineering News (GEN) (www.genengnews.com). Although disposables are carving their niche in research to pilot-scale cell culture, they continue to face technological hurdles in the areas of microbial fermentation and large-scale manufacturing of recombinant proteins in mammalian cell culture, according to the August issue of GEN.

"The biotechnology industry appears to still embrace traditional glass and steel stirred-tank technology in microbial fermentation and large-scale cell culture," says John Sterling, Editor-in-Chief of GEN.

As bioprocess volumes rise to 1,000 to 2,000 liters or higher disposables face challenges more in the physical than technical realm, observes the GEN article. Large-scale protein production in cell culture systems has not demonstrated a notable shift to disposable technology, with the exception of growing seed cultures for large-scale tanks in disposable bags.

The trend toward disposables in the U.S. market is not mirrored in Europe, notes GEN. There also might be a move over the next decade toward the concept of disposable glass, according to experts interviewed for the GEN article, which points out that collaborative efforts and innovation will likely drive the development of hybrid systems that exploit the synergies and efficiencies of conventional processing technology as well as single-use reactor vessels and components.

New Brunswick Scientific (NASDAQ:NBSC) sees strong interest in traditional bioreactors and fermentors, especially in the areas of vaccine manufacture and ethanol production. The company recently introduced the BioFlo 310 benchtop, autoclavable fermentor/bioreactor, a system designed for flexibility and use in a broad range of applications.

Sartorius BBI Systems also introduced a new benchtop, autoclavable, lab fermentor/bioreactor system. The Biostat(R) Aplus is designed for small-scale protein expression or transitioning from shaker or tissue culture flasks. The company is in the process of upgrading its line of bioreactor systems.

Other companies included in the GEN article are YSI Life Sciences, Nova Biomedical, Appropriate Technical Resources, HEL, Applikon, and Diosynth Biotechnology.

For a copy of the August issue of GEN, please call [phone], or email: [e-mail].

Genetic Engineering News (www.genengnews.com), which is published 21 times a year by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is the most widely read biotechnology news magazine worldwide. It includes articles on Drug Discovery, Bioprocessing, Omics, and Translational Medicine and covers applied research through commercialization and the business of biotechnology.