Cell Culture Dish Podcast

By: Brandy Sargent
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  • Summary

  • The Cell Culture Dish (CCD) podcast covers areas important to the research, discovery, development, and manufacture of disease and biologic therapeutics. Key industry coverage areas include: drug discovery and development, stem cell research, cell and gene therapy, recombinant antibodies, vaccines, and emerging therapeutic modalities.
    Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.
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Biological Sciences Hygiene & Healthy Living Nature & Ecology Physical Illness & Disease
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Episodes
  • Accelerating Bioprocess through Digital Transformation: A Strategic Path Forward

    Accelerating Bioprocess through Digital Transformation: A Strategic Path Forward
    Dec 12 2024
    In an era where industries are increasingly driven by data and automation, the bioprocessing sector is embracing digital transformation to streamline workflows and improve productivity. However, blending the complex and highly regulated world of bioprocess with digitalization poses unique challenges. In this podcast, we talk to Dr. Simon Wieninger, Head of Portfolio and Applications at Eppendorf SE about how the journey toward digital integration requires well-defined goals, user-centered design, cross-industry learning, and, crucially, trust. Setting Clear Goals: Purpose-Driven Digitalization “Digitalization shouldn’t happen for digitalization’s sake,” Dr. Wieninger advises. While the temptation to adopt cutting-edge technology is high, each digital tool or system must serve a specific purpose. For bioprocessing organizations, establishing these objectives upfront is critical to ensure that digital investments yield meaningful results. Whether the aim is to boost productivity in production facilities, refine R&D processes, or improve operational efficiency in support functions like HR, having clearly defined goals anchors digital efforts in purpose. This intentional approach is especially significant for production and R&D sectors within bioprocessing. Here, digitalization can streamline processes such as real-time data monitoring, automated adjustments to culture environments, and improved reporting and compliance tracking. By aligning digital goals with broader business objectives, organizations can make more effective use of resources and ensure that digitalization contributes positively to organizational growth. Bridging Skill Gaps and Building Trust: Making Digital Tools Accessible A successful digital transformation relies on the people who will use these tools day-to-day. However, not everyone in bioprocessing has a background in software or programming. Simon points out that for digital tools to be effective, they must be intuitive and accessible to all team members, from scientists in the lab to technicians on the production floor. "We need to design solutions that everyone can use," he says, noting the importance of user-friendly interfaces that require minimal technical knowledge to operate. Part of building an accessible digital framework is understanding the varying comfort levels with technology within the workforce. Some employees may be tech-savvy, while others are less familiar with digital tools. Recognizing and accommodating these differences is crucial to creating a smooth transition. Moreover, as Simon explains, trust is fundamental—not only trust in digital tools but also in the partnerships with vendors and technology providers who support this transformation. Organizations should leverage the expertise of these partners, building collaborative relationships to create solutions that meet specific needs and ultimately make bioprocess workflows more efficient. Learning from Other Industries: Adopting Best Practices in Automation and Standards The bioprocess industry has much to learn from sectors like automotive, finance, and telecommunications, which have long relied on automation and standardized processes to boost efficiency. In automotive manufacturing, for instance, high levels of automation allow for the production of thousands of vehicles with minimal human intervention. Bioprocessing, by contrast, has historically been more manual and labor-intensive, particularly in R&D and small-batch production. According to Simon, one of the greatest opportunities for bioprocessing is to adopt industry standards that facilitate automation and improve interoperability across devices. One such example is the OPC (Open Platform Communications) standard, widely used in other sectors for seamless communication between devices. Applying such standards to bioprocessing could simplify data integration across lab instruments and production equipment, allowing researchers to capture and analyze critica...
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    39 mins
  • The Key to Biologics Success: Why Developability Assessments Matter in Antibody Discovery

    The Key to Biologics Success: Why Developability Assessments Matter in Antibody Discovery
    Nov 21 2024
    In this podcast, we spoke with Dr. George Wang, Vice President of Discovery and Preclinical Services at WuXi Biologics about the importance of identifying potential manufacturing, stability, and scalability challenges early to mitigate risks, reduce costs, and streamline drug development timelines. By evaluating factors such as solubility, stability, and manufacturability during initial candidate screening, companies can avoid costly setbacks later in the process. Advanced tools like high-throughput assays, computational modeling, and AI-based predictions are now essential for these evaluations. What Is Developability? Dr. Wang began by defining developability as the assessment of whether a drug candidate possesses the necessary attributes to be scaled up for production during Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) development and, ultimately, for clinical trials and commercialization. He explained, “It’s about identifying potential red flags early on—issues like aggregation, degradation, or manufacturing inefficiencies—that could derail a candidate further down the line.” Why Focus on Developability During Discovery? Traditionally, discovery efforts have focused on identifying antibodies with the highest efficacy and safety profiles. However, the increasing complexity of biologics, including bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, has shifted industry focus. Dr. Wang emphasized the costly consequences of overlooking developability in the discovery phase. “Imagine investing millions into a molecule, only to discover insurmountable stability or manufacturability issues during development,” he said. “Performing these assessments early is like an insurance policy, mitigating risks and saving time and resources.” The Economic Case for Early Developability Assessments Dr. Wang highlighted the economic rationale for incorporating developability assessments during the initial discovery phase. “The cost of discovery is less than 1% of the total development cost. Spending a bit more upfront can save millions in reengineering or restarting development,” he noted. He also pointed out that superior developability attributes can provide a competitive edge, enabling faster clinical trial entry or product approval. Key Challenges and Industry Solutions Despite its benefits, the integration of developability assessments in discovery labs faces challenges. Labs often lack the tools, materials, and expertise required for systematic evaluations. “Developability attributes must be assessed using a robust combination of computational methods, analytical tools, and high-throughput assays, which many labs are not equipped to handle,” Dr. Wang explained. Companies like WuXi Biologics have stepped in to bridge this gap. “Our Discovery unit collaborates closely with our CMC team to identify and address developability issues early on,” said Dr. Wang. WuXi’s “WuXiDEEP™,” platform has become a cornerstone of their success, helping fix more than 50 problematic molecules and guiding hundreds of projects through the development pipeline. A Stepwise Approach to Developability Dr. Wang outlined a stepwise approach to developability assessments, starting with high-throughput evaluations during the initial screening of hundreds of candidates. “We use computational analysis to identify red flags such as post-translational modification hotspots or aggregation risks,” he explained. Promising candidates then undergo more detailed assessments, requiring larger material quantities and lower-throughput methods. Even when issues arise, solutions like protein engineering can salvage candidates with strong biological functions. “It’s not about discarding problem molecules outright but addressing and optimizing their developability profiles,” Dr. Wang emphasized. The Role of AI in Developability Assessments Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly significant role in drug discovery, and Dr.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • New Cell Culture Select Tool Simplifies Cell Culture Selection for Researchers

    New Cell Culture Select Tool Simplifies Cell Culture Selection for Researchers
    Nov 13 2024
    In this podcast, we spoke with Isha Dey, Senior Scientist, Cell Biology R&D, at Thermo Fisher Scientific about the challenges researchers face in selecting appropriate cell culture conditions due to variability in cell lines, lack of standardized protocols, and inconsistent reagent quality. Thermo Fisher Scientific's new Cell Culture Select Tool was developed to address these challenges by providing specific recommendations for media, FBS, and cultureware for over 150 cell lines, backed by extensive R&D data. Understanding the Challenges in Cell Culture Selection Thermo Fisher Scientific's new Cell Culture Select Tool addresses a persistent challenge in laboratory science: identifying the appropriate cell culture conditions and selecting the right media, supplements, and reagents for different cell lines. The process is complicated by factors like cell line variability, lack of standardized protocols, and inconsistent reagent quality. These issues can introduce variability and impact experimental results, posing a challenge for scientists across labs. “Different cell lines have unique requirements,” explained Isha. “It’s challenging to pinpoint optimal culture conditions due to variability in cell line responses. Additionally, there isn’t always a standardized protocol across labs or comprehensive information on specific culturing needs. This can make it difficult to select the most appropriate media, supplements, and other materials.” Ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality products is essential for reproducibility in experiments. Thermo Fisher Scientific's trusted brands, such as Gibco, Nunc, and Invitrogen, are known for their quality, which is critical for minimizing variability in experimental readouts. The Inspiration Behind the Cell Culture Select Tool The idea for the Cell Culture Select Tool originated from an update to Thermo Fisher Scientific's online technical reference library. Previously, the website listed recommended media types segmented by cell line culture methods—adherent, semi-adherent, or suspension. While helpful, this list was lengthy and lacked interactive functionality. Isha said, “We realized that we could streamline this information into a user-friendly tool”. “In our R&D labs, we culture over 150 cell lines using various media, supplements, and equipment. By making this data accessible to other researchers through an interactive tool, we hoped to eliminate the guesswork and enable reproducible cell culture success.” The tool now provides recommendations for specific media, supplements, and cultureware for culturing, passaging, and freezing over 150 cell lines. With in-house data supporting 75% of these lines, researchers gain access to the resources and insights gathered from Thermo Fisher’s extensive R&D experience. Selecting Cell Lines for the Tool The team started with cell lines listed in their technical reference webpage and expanded the list based on the lines frequently cultured in their R&D labs. These labs conduct heavy cell culture work for various applications, including media development, fluorescence imaging, Western blotting, flow cytometry, transfection, transduction studies, and more. “We wanted to make our R&D data available to researchers for convenience,” shared Isha. “This effort involved many scientists across R&D sites who contributed data and images showing how each cell line appears in recommended media.” Quality and Verification in Thermo Fisher’s Labs The tool’s data is backed by rigorous testing in Thermo Fisher’s R&D labs. Cells are grown in their respective media, culture plastics, and consumables over multiple passages to ensure accuracy. For cancer cell lines, STR profiling and mycoplasma testing are conducted regularly, while stem cell cultures are assessed for pluripotency and purity using imaging and flow cytometry. “Representative images of cell lines, captured using our EVOS imaging system,
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    11 mins

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