Fungal cell lines provide considerable time and cost benefits over mammalian cell lines. For instance, the latter proves to be a lengthy process and may alter the properties of the final therapeutic glycoprotein.
Conversely, fungal cell lines such as engineered yeast expression systems for production of humanly glycosylated protein provide for faster fermentation and a higher product yield.
Industrial bioprocessing also holds immense potential for biotechnology. The development of a sophisticated microbioreactor for bacterial cell culture could speed up the bioprocessing mechanism.
A 5- to 50-microliter microbioreactor provides significant advantages over traditional chemical processes, such as lower temperature, pressure, and almost neutral pH requirements. Also, mass production with lesser power consumption is viable since the raw materials are renewable living cells.
Nano-biotechnology proves to be another potential growth area, where the endless possibilities of 'doing big with small' exist. This has sparked an explosion of research and has influenced the commercialization of many nano drug delivery technologies.
For instance, the uniquely small-sized carbon buckyballs and nanotubes are proving to be successful nano-carriers that are small enough to navigate within the body. Thereby, they could serve as effective carriers of active ingredients for cancer treatment. However, dealing with the toxicity of trace nanoparticles that could be left behind in the body, is a major concern.
Another promising technique is nano-sized dendrimers that escape the blood stream through vascular pores, and selectively target and treat tumor cells. Dendrimer-based drugs coupled with additional agents provide high-end tumor image
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Contact: Julia Paulson
jpaulson@frost.com
210-247-3870
Technical Insights
28-Apr-2004