Cell Culture Experts Share Insights and Look into the Future of Media Development

December 4, 2019

Robert Newman, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific recently participated in a panel discussion among cell culture media experts about current obstacles and future developments within the space. Along with four other participants, Newman shared insights about the development of cell culture media and what still needs to be done.

The questions posed to the panel touched on important topics relevant to the needs of the bioprocessing market, and how the development of cell culture media can evolve to meet these needs. This included a review of common mistakes made when choosing and using cell culture media, to which Newman noted its importance within the entire manufacturing process, as well as the hindrances that may be found for scaling up.

The importance of understanding regulatory requirements and cell culture workflow was examined, to which Newman pointed out the significance of having a regulatory plan outlined and documents gathered in the early stages of development before scale-up. The challenges of this process include making sure appropriate packaging is used, as well as addressing timeline conflicts with the media supplier to ensure enough media is on-hand for expansion.

The latest technologies of the last five years were explored. Newman recognized CAR-T therapies, CRISPR gene editing, and 3D bioprinting as some of the best and most effective recent technologies. In particular for cell culture media, Newman pointed out organoid technology—mini organs created in a dish—as a fascinating breakthrough.

Obstacles in the field were also reviewed, with Newman addressing the lack of a standard, all-purpose manufacturing format for bioprocessing, as well as the cost of cell therapies and need for allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies, as potential issues impeding the field.

Finally, each panelist shared their vision of how cell culture media products and processes would evolve in the next 10 years. Newman foresees costs going down for large-scale production as processes continue to become automated. He also believes that more manufacturers will join in on the chemically-defined, animal component-free movement with additional regulatory requirements put into place.

Discover more of what Newman and the panel explored by reading the entire panel discussion.

Read Panel Discussion