Biopharmaceutical Fermentation: Navigating The 5 Most Overlooked Challenges

Fermentation plays a critical role in biopharmaceutical production, driving the cultivation of microorganisms for antibiotics, therapeutic proteins, and vaccines. However, scaling up these complex processes comes with challenges often overlooked by industry professionals. From microbial fermentation, which includes bacteria, yeast, and fungi, to mammalian cell fermentation, maintaining consistent product quality and optimizing cold chain logistics can significantly impact overall yield.

Traditional freezing methods, such as spray drying, pose risks of contamination and product degradation. Fortunately, new technologies like plate-based freezing and automated aliquoting provide more controlled solutions for fluid and cold chain management, helping to preserve the viability of biopharmaceuticals during production, storage, and transport.

Single-use technologies further streamline these operations, offering modular, scalable solutions for both small and large volumes, reducing contamination risks and ensuring seamless end-to-end fluid handling. This application note highlights five key challenges in biopharmaceutical fermentation, from preventing product loss to improving scalability, and offers insights into how advanced technologies are transforming these processes.