I have compiled a list of our most popular Cool Tools Features for 2015. Here are the top ten in alphabetical order.

Cool Tool – 3D Cell Culture with RAFT™ System – An Introduction

In vitro assays typically use cells grown on two-dimensional (2D) hard plastic or glass substrates, which are not representative of the true in vivo cell environment. In tissue, cells interact with neighboring cells and with the extracellular matrix (ECM). In a simplified, in vitro 2D environment, the tissue-specific architecture, cell-cell communication and cues can be lost. Therefore, the need exists for advanced culture methods that better mimic cellular function within living tissue….

Cool Tool – Allegro™ Microcarrier Delivery System: Streamline Processes, Increase Productivity

As microcarriers gain momentum as the standard for production of large number of adherent cell types, whether for vaccine or cellular therapeutics, novel tools and approaches for the delivery of microcarriers into single-use bioreactors and conventional system continue to evolve.…

Cool Tool – Cedex Bioprocess Analyzers for Vaccine Manufacturing

The 8^th Annual Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards took place earlier this month at the World Vaccine Congress. Awards were given to recognize those who have “done outstanding work in the field, honor those who have made significant contributions to the development of the sector, and celebrate the great achievements made in the world of vaccines in the last year.”…

Cool Tool – Defined, Animal-free Virus Production Media

In our previous blog “The Evolution of Vaccine Manufacturing – Past, Current, and Future Trends,” we discussed the importance of continued innovation in vaccine manufacturing. These innovations are critical to reducing manufacturing costs and improving safety profiles. As discussed in the blog, several vaccines are currently being manufactured with a cell culture media formulation that contains animal derived components. The optimization of cell culture media and the removal of these animal products is one area where improvements can be made in vaccine manufacturing.…

Cool Tool- Hybridoma cell growth and performance in reduced serum + Zap-SR

It is well known that serum and other animal derived components can create inconsistency in cell culture, leading to variability in growth and performance. In order to reduce the amount of serum required, as well as the variability and final cost per liter of media, InVitria has developed Zap-SR. Zap-SR (Serum Reducer) is an animal free 100x cell culture supplement that is used to reduce the amount of serum required by up to 90% for many cell types, including hybridoma.…

Cool Tool – mAbVault for Antibody Manufacturing: Protect Quality, Minimize Expenses, and Simplify Scale-up

Antibody-based products face three primary demands as they scale from R&D to commercial manufacturing – protect quality, minimize expenses, and simplify scale-up. Since bioreactor production technology factors heavily into addressing these demands, it is critical that each organization thoroughly explores all available manufacturing options.…

Cool Tool – Minimize the Impact of Stress on Pluripotent Stem Cell Health in a Range of Workflows

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are foundational tools for basic research, as well as applied applications including regenerative medicine, Gene Therapy, drug discovery, and toxicological assessment. While stem cells have been shown to have a tremendous proliferative capacity, stress on the cells from long term culture has been shown to cause an accumulation of mutations that result in genetic instability, increasing the tumorigenicity of the cells and thus limiting their utility in research and clinical applications. Within the process of standard culture, PSCs undergo significant cellular stress during cryopreservation, post-thaw recovery, as well as passaging. Downstream processes, such as gene editing, apply additional cellular stress, comprising cell viability and furthermore genetic stability of PSCs. Thus, solutions to minimize the impact of cellular stress during these workflows are essential components to ensure reliability and consistency of cell supply, as well as experimental reproducibility.…

Cool Tool – PureFlex Plus – A Robust Single Use Fluid Management Film for High Volume/Value Applications

Polymetric film is used in single use technologies for fluid management. The film is a key component and its failure can lead to process failure and loss of buffer, media or product. When film fails it often occurs due to abrasion, cracking during film flexing, punctures and stretching. When considering the film to use in single use technologies it is critical to take into account not only physical strength, but also its extractables profile to be sure that the film isn’t releasing deleterious materials that could impact culture or final product quality.…

Cool Tool – STEP Technology for the rapid generation of very high producing stable CHO cell lines

Two key drivers in cost of goods for biopharmaceutical manufacturing are product yield and efficiency of manufacturing. Included in this efficiency is the time it takes to generate a commercial cell line with the kind of yield and product quality suitable for advancement to process development then manufacturing. Due to the success of CHO cells and their popularity in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, advancements in the production capabilities of these cells is fundamental to improving biomanufacturing productivity.…

Cool Tool – Zap-SR Utility in Expanding Cells Critical in Virus Production

Since their appearance in the late 18^th century, vaccines have had a profound impact on human and animal health and have simultaneously shaped the field of immunological research for years to come. The emergence of recombinant DNA technology and advances in cell culture processes have only fueled the expansion of these therapeutic viruses into new and exciting areas of gene, cell, and immunocancer therapies. Future development strategies will surely only continue to evolve for the production of novel lifesaving virus-based therapies and vaccines.…