CellRev sign JDA with Saint-Gobain Life Sciences to develop a groundbreaking media rejuvenation process
CellRev, the bioprocessing company revolutionising adherent cell cultivation, has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with Saint-Gobain Life Sciences to develop a pioneering process for media rejuvenation.
The JDA which utilises the bioprocessing expertise of CellRev and the filtration know-how of Saint-Gobain Life Sciences (SGLS), will initiate development of a solution that can remove toxins and replenish spent media, allowing it to be circulated back into the process. The two parties will work together to scope, design, and test a game-changing media rejuvenation solution that can be integrated downstream of cell harvesting to reduce waste in the cell cultivation process. The solution will perfectly complement CellRev’s revolutionary continuous cell processing platform, enabling further cost reduction for cellular product developers.
The cost of cell culture media is still one of the single biggest hurdles to overcome in the pursuit of making cell-based or cell-derived products mainstream. Cell culture media, made up of basal media and a blend of growth factors, supplies cells with the necessary nutrients to proliferate in vitro. It is an unavoidable but quite often prohibitively expensive component of the cell culture process. As the field scales, it will become even more important to significantly reduce the cost and waste.
CellRev will assist in the development of a process that permits the removal of toxins and metabolites allowing the recirculation of as much media as possible whilst SGLS has the knowledge and experience of creating and manufacturing custom components for fluid management systems. Combining these elements, they aim to develop an industry-first media rejuvenation process for cellular product developers and manufacturers by directing waste, or spent, media through a specialised assembly that reconditions the media allowing it to be circulated back into the process.
With multiple phases of development planned prior to commercialisation, it is anticipated the project will conclude, with products being made available, in 2024.
Chris Green, Chief Executive Officer at CellRev said: “Cell culture is a growing field utilised to produce countless products that address human and planetary health challenges. As we enter the bio-revolution, cell culture is of enormous importance and yet, we cannot meet projected demand with the technologies and infrastructure currently available. CellRev is focused on revolutionising cell cultivation, making it more sustainable whilst bringing down the cost and reducing waste in the process. Our breakthrough continuous cell processing platform is already addressing the bioprocessing need, and through this JDA with SGLS, we can begin to tackle media waste to further reduce product cost. We are excited to get underway with the Saint-Gobain team in this new area of exploration for both companies.”
Narendar Yeshwanth, VP of R&D and Innovation at Saint-Gobain Life Sciences comments: “Saint-Gobain Life Sciences is committed to delivering a more sustainable industry and improving daily life through high-performance solutions, and we view this partnership as a great opportunity to support the increasing demand for sustainability in bioprocessing. With our material expertise and specially engineered filtration solutions coupled with CellRev’s continuous cell processing platform, we expect to develop cost-saving solutions that reduce the high-cost media used in bioprocessing today. Our collaboration with the CellRev team will help deliver a sustainable solution that will impact multiple markets.”
