UV Light Sterilization for Biomanufacturing | Biosphere

The Challenge of Contamination in Biomanufacturing

For scientists working with cell cultures, contamination represents a significant concern. A single bacterial cell or fungal spore can invalidate an entire research project.

Consider the implications when this risk is amplified in biomanufacturing – the process of utilizing living cells to create pharmaceuticals, food components, and various industrial materials. Here, contamination doesn’t merely reduce efficiency; it poses a potential public health risk if harmful microorganisms enter products like medications.

Traditional Sterilization Methods and Their Drawbacks

To mitigate these risks, companies often employ a rigorous sterilization approach, subjecting equipment to intense heat via steam. However, this method is resource-intensive. Producing steam requires substantial energy, and equipment must be specifically designed to endure the extreme temperatures and pressures involved.

As Brian Heligman, co-founder and CEO of Biosphere, explained to TechCrunch, “This approach originated with Pfizer in the 1940s during penicillin production, and current systems bear a striking resemblance to those early designs.”

While alternative sterilization techniques exist, such as single-use reactors and ultraviolet (UV) light, each presents its own challenges. Single-use reactors generate waste, and until recently, generating sufficient UV-C light for effective decontamination was prohibitively expensive.

The Rising Affordability of UV-C Light

The landscape is changing, however, largely due to developments spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The COVID era witnessed significant investment in the manufacturing of UV-C LEDs,” Heligman noted. “We anticipate these LEDs will become substantially more affordable over the next decade.”

Biosphere's Innovative Bioreactor Design

Over the past two years, Heligman and the Biosphere team have engineered a three-liter glass bioreactor designed for complete sterilization using UV light. This reactor incorporates four powerful LEDs that illuminate every surface and instrument within the chamber.

Currently, eight of these bioreactors are undergoing testing as part of a $1.5 million Department of Defense initiative focused on exploring biomanufacturing applications for high-performance oil production.

Employing LEDs has the potential to significantly reduce the costs associated with biomanufacturing, enabling the production of materials that were previously economically unfeasible.

“Simplifying the complexity of these systems will allow us to achieve a transformatively lower cost baseline,” Heligman stated.

Electrification and Future Scalability

Heligman draws a parallel to the electrification of the bioreactor. Replacing costly stainless steel components – valves, traps, and other equipment – with LEDs and cabling is expected to drive down expenses considerably.

Furthermore, the reduced need for high-temperature and pressure resistance opens the possibility of utilizing more affordable materials, such as plastics, for certain applications.

Biosphere is presently developing a pilot bioreactor with a capacity of approximately 100 liters, utilizing their UV sterilization technology. Future plans include exploring designs capable of holding 40,000 to 80,000 liters.

Funding and Investment

The company has secured $8.8 million in seed funding, led by Lowercarbon Capital and VXI Capital, as exclusively reported to TechCrunch. Additional investors include B37 Ventures, Caffeinated Capital, Founders Fund, and GS Futures.