A guest blog by William G. Whitford, Sr. Manager, HyClone Cell Culture, GE Healthcare

IBC’s Bioprocess International Conference, Boston, MA, October 2014

Another successful BPI event was held at the Hynes Convention center in Boston, MA.  The conference began with a full pre-conference symposium that included sessions on topics ranging from therapeutic applications to contemporary raw materials issues to knowledge management tools.

Main conference concurrent sessions covered a wide spectrum of topics – both upstream and downstream – and included speakers from entity sponsors, suppliers and academic institutions.  This year, valuable papers were presented on such timely topics as single-use flexibility, enterprise control, raw material standards, modular facilities, continuous bioproduction, a new CHO DG44-derived host cell line, and the value of microbioreactors in process development.  Those who have attended this conference previously know that the Hynes is a spacious yet easily navigated center providing a very comfortable venue for a meeting of this size and scope.  The fact that delegates had their choice of several hotels contiguous to the center was a great benefit during this stormy Boston week!  The over 1600 delegates attending were also happy to see a generous assortment of refreshments served throughout the conference http://www.ibclifesciences.com/BPI/attending.xml

On the afternoon of day one, three exciting plenary keynote presentations were moderated by Günter Jagschies of GE Healthcare.  They provided intriguing overviews of the newest directions in biopharmaceutical entities, as well as a poignant reminder of the value and import of their ultimate application in the clinic.

Brian Caine of BPI moderated the BioProcess International Awards ceremony the evening of day two, where he reviewed the finalists and announced the winners.  On the last day, Anne Montgomery of BPI announced the three poster presentation award winners in the categories of Supplier, Academic and End User/Manufacturer and a review is already available (http://www.ibclifesciences.com/BPI/poster_award_winners.xml.)

Over 150 vendors were represented in the Exhibition Hall−  from large, established suppliers to a number of smaller and even start-up materials and equipment suppliers.  There was a virtual-reality experience, more comprehensive offerings due recent acquisitions and mergers, and updated data from the application of existing materials and equipment.  And, as usual, an extra venue of presentations and fun at the BPI Theater.

In summary, this year’s BPI Conference featured a number of successful events, including a comprehensive array scientific tracks, exciting representation from diverse vendors and well-attended roundtables.