Edition #7 - Escape from the big white box, flavour profiles in cell and media development, and maintenance 4.0

Hi, I’m James ??

I'm a strategic advisor with over 20 years of experience in biotech and executive leadership, I've built high-performing teams and led groundbreaking research in stem cell metabolism, regenerative medicine, and cultured meat. My mission is to collaborate with visionary biotech founders, from pre-seed to Series B+, to accelerate the journey of world-changing products to market.

Every week I share news and stories about the latest innovations across the biomanufacturing value-chain. In each newsletter I share:

• A featured interview with an early stage startup using biology to tackle a global challenge
• A story focussed on a key industry highlight or challenge
• Links to some other great content I’ve been reading

?? If you find my content interesting or want to learn more about my services then check out my website (see here) which contains additional stories and (free!) resources for biomanufacturing companies (NOTE: this week I released a brand new guide for creating an IP framework, check it out and let me know what you think).

???Featured Interview: GMP and beautiful design - escaping from the big white box

(This week I’m revisiting an interview I did earlier this year with Nic van der Nol from PharmOut).

One of the many distinguishing features of working at Vow was the beautiful R&D space. Designed to feature natural light and a sense of openness and inclusivity (with an abundance of glass walls) ????, I feel privileged to have spent time in that environment. Before my time at Vow, if asked how to design a new lab space, my answer would have been, "just build a big white box and make sure it is compliant." It was only through Vow's cofounder Tim Noakesmith that I learned the value of beautiful spaces.

The lab space at Vow is welcoming and invites you to observe and understand the incredible science happening daily ????. After experiencing Vow's lab, I am fully converted to the power of incorporating beauty into functional design ?????.

Given this shift in my thinking, I eagerly sat down for a coffee ? with nic van der nol from PharmOut. Nic is a specialist life sciences architect who has been designing GMP compliant lab spaces around the world for over 20 years ?????. During our conversation, we discussed how design and beautiful spaces can provide value to companies through employee well-being, greater productivity, and improved physical and mental health ??♂???. A beautiful lab-space can even act as a recruitment tool (I never want to work in a big white box ever again!). The two things that really stood out for me during our conversation were the passion that Nic demonstrated for incorporating beauty into the functional design of spaces, and his willingness to answer all my questions about design, regardless of how naive they were.

So, if you're ready to start designing your own lab space or looking to improve or repurpose an existing space, I highly recommend contacting Nic for a chat ????♂?.

?? Story highlight: The untapped potential of flavor profiles for B2B cellular agriculture

This morning, as I found myself out of coffee beans and needing to visit my favorite roaster's website, I was intrigued by the detailed flavor profiles of their offerings, described with notes like "orange, white grape, black tea, & jasmine." (to be honest I struggle to taste much more than coffee, but I do know which combination of flavours I enjoy). This experience sparked a thought about the cultured food industry, particularly two critical B2B sectors: cell line suppliers and media formulation companies. The taste (and nutrition) of cultured food, much like in traditional animal farming, will be a product of both the cells used and the environment in which they are cultured.

Imagine if these B2B companies began to articulate the flavor profiles of their cells and media formulations. Just as a coffee roaster highlights the unique tasting notes of their beans, these suppliers could offer insights into the potential taste nuances their products might bring to the final cultured meat product. This approach wouldn't just add value; it would change the way B2C companies and ultimately consumers perceive and experience cultured meat. Providing a taste profile, alongside critical technical data such as passage number, mean doubling time, and cell diameter, would not only demystify the science behind cultured meat but also celebrate its culinary potential. After all, these suppliers are offering a key ingredient to food manufacturers.

?? Things I’m reading this week

1?? https://www.jeffwinterinsights.com/insights/maintenance-world-feature-on-maintenance-40

As biomanufacturing companies transition from bench-top to scale-up, they face a host of new challenges, especially when production is brought in-house. While the primary focus is often on building and commissioning the bioreactor and its associated services, it's crucial not to overlook the importance of maintenance. In the era of Industry 4.0, maintenance is undergoing a significant transformation. In his article, Jeff Winter outlines the evolution of maintenance strategies from reactive approaches to time- and condition-based methods, and most recently, to predictive maintenance.

Unplanned downtime and production losses can severely impact a company's success, making early maintenance planning essential. This article serves as a vital resource for sparking critical maintenance discussions from day one.

2?? https://www.synbiobeta.com/read/redesigning-synthetic-biology-with-automation

Continuing with the Industry 4.0 theme, Jennifer Tsang's article above provides a fantastic summary of an interview with Roya Amini-Naieni, CEO and co-founder of Trilobio, and Brian Frezza, co-CEO and co-founder of Emerald Cloud Lab. Both companies are at the forefront of lab automation, driving the acceleration of synthetic biology. Trilobio and Emerald Cloud Lab exemplify the powerful synergy that emerges when life scientists, software developers, and mechanical engineers collaborate.

Anyone familiar with wet-lab environments knows how challenging reproducibility can be. Even when following the same SOP, two users can achieve different results, often due to subtle human variations. By automating processes, not only can you save time, but you can also (in theory) enhance reproducibility.

Until next week,

James

PS- If you are working on something amazing in the biomanufacturing space, then reach out to [email protected] - I’d love to hear from you!