To explain it simply, biomanufacturing is a new method of production which incorporates biological systems to create commercially-useful biomaterials that can be used in various industries like medicine, food and beverage.

What is biomanufacturing?

To explain it simply, biomanufacturing is a new method of production which incorporates biological systems to create commercially-useful biomaterials that can be used in various industries like medicine, food and beverage, etc. It is a form of biotechnology where ingredients for these biomaterials are harvested from natural sources like microbes, blood, animal cells, or plant cells. These ingredients or cells can be procured from naturally occurring resources or created through genetic engineering methods.

An introduction to biomanufactured products

Most people are oblivious to the amount of biomanufactured products found in today's market. They are used in industrial applications, medicine, food, and beverages. In the pharmaceutical industry, many of their raw materials and other products like vaccines, cytokines, amino acids, growth factors, antibodies, and fusion proteins are all biomanufactured products. Amino acids are biomanufactured to be used in the food and beverage industry as well to increase the longevity of a food item or beverage.

Plastics, detergents, and many other products in industrial applications contain biomanufactured compounds like enzymes and cells. For example, biocementation is a process where microbiologically-induced calcium carbonate is used to treat concrete to improve its strength and longevity. Another example is bioremediation where microorganisms are used to break down pollutants and contaminants to help reduce their toxicity.

What are the methods involved in biomanufacturing?

There are several biomanufacturing methods that are applied in various industries, but the most common ones are blood plasma fractionation, cell culture, column chromatography, fermentation, ultrafiltration, and homogenization. These methods are used in different industries for different purposes.

How is biomanufacturing affecting our future?

The use of these methods is slowly changing the course of our future. The incorporation of biomanufacturing in more and more industries has helped open doors to various avenues we didn't think were possible.

Biomanufacturing has resulted in the advancement of medicine in more ways than we can imagine. The possibility of creating vaccines for deadly conditions like cancer and AIDS is slowly approaching, making us more confident of our developments. In the medical sector, biomanufacturing has been responsible for creating a bio-absorbable heart stent, which will soon replace the traditional metal stent. This absorbable stent dissolves in the patient's arteries in about six months, leaving them with a completely healthy artery.

Nerve regeneration has also become a reality thanks to biomanufacturing. Scientists have created a nanogel which when injected can create tiny scaffolds in damaged nanofibers. These scaffolds aid in the growth and development of nerve fibers, and this technology can be used to repair damaged nerves in the spinal cord. This technology could be the answer to all those who are paralyzed due to nerve damage.

Biomanufacturing is still in its nubile stages despite years of research and development. However, it has given rise to a wave of innovative technology that has helped the fields of science, medicine, and nutrition. This technology is our answer to a cleaner, stronger future.