eBook: Cell and Gene Therapy - 26

Bioproduction: Advancing
the Bioeconomy
Harnessing biology for innovative solutions.
Brian Shapiro, Ph.D., and Cara Wilder, Ph.D.
In September 2022, the White House issued an
executive order focused on advancing biomanufacturing
and biotechnology to create a sustainable
bioeconomy. This directive highlights bioprocesses
as a driver for innovative solutions in human
health, energy, agriculture, the environment, and
food security.
What is bioproduction?
The promise of the broad bioeconomy relies on the
bioproduction of clinically and commercially important
biological products and chemicals from living
cells. Bioproduction utilizes biological systems
such as cells and microorganisms to synthesize or
produce biologics for medical therapeutics and industrial
applications.
Bioproduction of small molecules can be synthesized
by high-throughput chemical processes
or large-volume fermentation with a high rate of
consistency and simplified scalability. For the bioproduction
of large molecules, the process is often
more complicated, can be time-consuming, and often
requires multiple highly specialized and tightly
controlled steps.
Why it's important
By using the natural pathways found in cell lines
and microorganisms, or modifying these pathways
through genetic engineering, researchers can synthesize
various target biologics that are essential
in the pharmaceutical, chemical, food, energy, and
agricultural industries. These bioprocesses are already
an integral part of many industries today.
The COVID-19 pandemic raised public awareness
of the importance of bioproduction processes
for global health. The control and mitigation of
SARS-CoV-2-the virus that causes COVID-19-required
a juggernaut of research and development
to quickly develop and produce life-saving treatments
along with the supply chains necessary to
fuel the concerted effort.1
Small start-ups and large
pharmaceutical companies ramped up research
and production to produce vaccines and therapeutics
to fight SARS-CoV-2 in record time.
Other pervasive health problems have led to the
development of new biologics that are still in demand
today. An example of an essential biologic
manufactured using bioproduction is insulin. This
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https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/09/12/executive-order-on-advancing-biotechnology-and-biomanufacturing-innovation-for-a-sustainable-safe-and-secure-american-bioeconomy/

eBook: Cell and Gene Therapy

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