~Welcome to the (Bio)Revolution~

Recently I've been exploring the collection of white papers and reviews shared by Lever VC on their website. If you work in 'the biomanufacturing sector then absolutely check out this (free) collection of materials. I've shared the “scientific benchmark reports” on precision fermentation and cultivated meat with a number of clients.

One recent report really stood out for me though, the "five most disruptive technologies for the fermentation industry". In this article, the authors have focussed on exciting advances across strain editing, downstream processing and utilizing waste streams for feedstock. Having spent the last few months talking with a broad range of companies working in the animal-cell biomanufacturing space, I thought I'd share the five technologies I’m most excited by, in the biomanufacturing space. Keeping in mind that that over 60% of the physical inputs to the global economy could be produced by biomanufacturing, these are some of the technologies that will help drive the next phase of the biorevolution:

1. Synthetic Biology and Genetic Modification of Cells 🧬
   Opportunities in this space are vast, from creating a minimally viable genome (increasing cell efficiency) to molecular switches and optogenetics. The potential to create innovative products using biology starts with the cell.
   

2. Symbiotic Co-Cultures 🦠
   In nature, cells grow in heterogeneous environments, supporting each other through paracrine signaling and physical interactions. As we seek ways to improve metabolic efficiencies and reduce costs, co-culturing cells will likely become more common.
   

3. Valorization of Spent Media ♻️
   Growing animal cells at a commercial scale produces thousands of liters of spent liquid media. Finding ways to create value from this waste stream can change the economics of biomanufacturing commodity products. Spent media is rich in secreted proteins and extracellular vesicles (exosomes), appealing for medical and cosmetic applications. It's also high in nitrogen, making it an attractive nutrient source for plants.
   

4. Downstream Processing 🏭
   While the isolation of high-value biotherapeutic proteins and molecules has seen significant innovation, there's still immense potential for food, textiles, and cosmetic companies. Large-scale, second-stage bioreactors that enable rapid cell and tissue maturation will open new product categories and applications for human tissue and organ transplants
   

5. Linking Sensory/Phenotype Properties to Unique (Tractable) Biomarkers 🔬
   This may seem a bit unconventional, but I'm excited about the next generation of bioreactors that can track sensory and phenotypic markers. Understanding the link between sensory properties (flavor, aroma, texture) and biology will allow us to monitor how these properties change with modifications to the biomanufacturing environment (liquid media formulation, gas exchange etc). The same principle applies to non-food products, like the softness of leather or the efficacy of exosomes in cosmetic applications
   
   Finally, a special mention to the many other exciting areas in biomanufacturing, including continuous bioprocessing, novel scaffolds and microcarriers, metabolic and whole-cell modeling, and bioprinting
   
   👉 What have I missed? What are you working on that should be on this list?