Episode 6: A View On Improving Microbial Manufacturing

Unlocking Microbial Manufacturing: Innovation Across the Pipeline For more than 40 years, microbial fermentation has been the workhorse of biologic manufacturing. From the first recombinant insulin to today’s increasingly complex therapeutic formats, the technology has consistently adapted to meet the needs of patients, developers, and regulators. Karlheinz Flicker, Director of Microbial R&D, offers a strategic perspective on how microbial systems like E. coli and Pichia pastoris support emerging non-Fc biologics such as nanobodies and cytokines. Later, Joan Cortada, Associate Principal Scientist, walks us through a promising innovation in protein refolding that uses high pressure to reduce environmental impact and improve yields. The episode underscores how upstream and downstream process innovation, from strain engineering to greener purification steps, can help make biologics more scalable, flexible, and sustainable.