Episode 6: A View On: Microbial Manufacturing

Unlocking Microbial Manufacturing: Innovation Across the Pipeline

In this episode, we hear from Karlheinz Flicker and Joan Cortada, two experts from Lonza's microbial R&D team, about the important role of microbial technology in sustainable biomanufacturing.

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.

Curious to Learn More?

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.


*The presented information was correct and current at the time of publication.


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KEY TERMS:

In microbial manufacturing, Upstream Processing (USP) refers to everything that happens before the product is harvested—including fermentation and the engineering of microbial strains to produce therapeutic proteins.

Once the protein is produced, Downstream Processing (DSP) takes over, focusing on purifying the protein and preparing it for use through techniques like filtration and chromatography. A common challenge during protein production in E. coli is the formation of inclusion bodies, which are dense clumps of misfolded proteins. These aggregates need to be broken down and refolded to recover their functional form.

This is where refolding comes in—a critical step in which the protein’s correct 3D structure is restored. Traditionally, this process relies on chaotropic buffers, powerful chemical agents that help unfold protein aggregates but can be harsh on the environment. Listen to the podcast to hear how Lonza is innovating in this field.

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