yvonne duckworth headshot - digital technology at CRB

Duckworth talks downstream automation in BioPharm International

Aug 12, 2022

Yvonne Duckworth, CRB’s Director of Digital Technology, was recently featured in “Developing Automation Downstream” in BioPharm International.

As upstream processes for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) intensify, biopharmaceutical manufacturers are searching for new ways to meet production downstream.

Biopharma manufacturers are finding new and innovative ways to generate larger volumes of mAb product within their processes and facilities. These methods range from intensifying purification by using several chromatography columns in parallel and automating dead-end filtration skids for continuous depth-filtration, to intensifying buffer prep with in-line dilution of concentrated buffer solutions. “Intensified processes rely on process analytical technology (PAT) to collect real-time data used for automated process control.”

"One challenge in downstream processing is that different pieces of equipment often come from different vendors; each skid from a different supplier may use a different control system platform, resulting in a higher level of complexity required to integrate the skids." "Making data available via communication protocols can be complex with multiple control system platforms, but [it] is crucial to provide the level of data connectivity that is key to smart manufacturing and digitalization in accordance with Pharma 4.0." - Duckworth

Read more from Yvonne Duckworth about the integrations and standardizations necessary to move automation forward in “Developing Automation Downstream.”