Next Generation Cell Retention for High Cell Density Upstream Bioprocesses

The further intensification of bioprocesses can continue to drive to lower cost solutions by providing smaller footprint processes with higher productivity. The Seeker desires a unique solution to generate high cell density cultures (>200 million cells/mL), while maintaining high cell viability and avoiding the product sieving & fouling effects associated with current approaches.

This is an Ideation Challenge with a guaranteed award for at least one submitted solution.

The generation of high cell density mammalian cell cultures provides a strategy to intensify the process and increase yields of expressed biotherapeutics such as proteins or monoclonal antibodies.  This is applied in traditional fed batch approach by continuously feeding media nutrients while biomass levels accumulate.  Alternatively in a perfusion system, the media is fed continuously, to maintain a steady state of high cell density while the product (e.g. protein) is continually removed. The Seeker is looking to achieve high cell density at 200 million cells /mL, significantly above the current technology approaches, (50-100 million cells/mL). This is an aggressive target given the challenging issues of existing cell retention devices that can include filter fouling, product sieving and bulk mixing / oxygen transfer issues in the bioreactor. 

This is an Ideation Challenge, which has the following unique features:

• There is a guaranteed award.  The award(s) will be paid to the best submission(s) as solely determined by the Seeker. The total payout will be $10,000, with at least one award being no smaller than $5,000 and no award being smaller than $2,000.
• The Solvers are not required to transfer exclusive intellectual property rights to the Seeker. Rather, by submitting a proposal, the Solver grants to the Seeker a royalty-free, perpetual, and non-exclusive license to use any information included in this proposal, including for promotional purposes.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on February 22, 2020. 

Late submissions will not be considered.

After the Challenge deadline, the Seeker will complete the review process and make a decision with regards to the Winning Solution(s). All Solvers that submit a proposal will be notified on the status of their submissions; however, no detailed evaluation of individual submissions will be provided.

ABOUT THE SEEKER

The Sartorius Group is a leading international partner of biopharmaceutical research and the industry. With innovative laboratory instruments and consumables, the Group’s Lab Products & Services Division concentrates on serving the needs of laboratories performing research and quality control at pharma and biopharma companies and those of academic research institutes. The Bioprocess Solutions Division with its broad product portfolio focusing on single-use solutions helps customers to manufacture biotech medications and vaccines safely and efficiently. The Group has been annually growing by double digits on average and has been regularly expanding its portfolio by acquisitions of complementary technologies. In fiscal 2018, Sartorius earned sales revenue of more than 1.6 billion euros according to preliminary figures. Currently, more than 8,100 people work at the Group’s approximately 60 manufacturing and sales sites, serving customers around the globe.