Did you know biomanufacturing has been around since the 1910s? Yes, it is surprising! But biomanufacturing technologies have shaped through 4 generations until today, and it’s now in its biomanufacturing 4.0 phase. These technologies have helped solve various critical challenges across many areas, including food security, health issues, and even the energy crisis.
These developments have become crucial to facing rising global challenges, such as climate change, food shortage, energy crisis, and health challenges. Bioprocessing technology is shaping the future of these industries, leading and promoting sustainability along the line.
In this article, let’s see what exactly biomanufacturing is and how it moved from the lab to the factory floor!
What is Biomanufacturing?
Biotech manufacturing is a biological process that deals with microorganisms, enzymes, and advanced biological cells. These are used in this process to create chemicals, fuels, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and many other value-added items. In simple words, this groundbreaking concept turns biological systems into manufacturing systems.
Unlike regular manufacturing, this system doesn’t deal with chemical or mechanical procedures. It uses living organisms to manufacture, leading to sustainable biomanufacturing. In the biomanufacturing process, fermentation acts as the bioreactor, which is the core element of the entire process. It helps to turn raw materials into value-added products using biological cells or enzymes.
One key factor that sets apart biomanufacturing industry growth is its ability to adapt. Be it biomanufacturing in food production or pharmaceuticals, this innovative science-backed approach has the power to reduce plastic waste and empower sustainability.
Industries That Use Biomanufacturing
Biomanufacturing has positioned itself in the global sphere. Hence why the future of biomanufacturing is more profound than any other concept in the industrial world. From cell-based manufacturing to bioprocessing technologies to many other innovative, cutting-edge solutions have shaped its path.
Below are some industries utilising biomanufacturing facilities:
- This is used in construction and building to make the cement stronger using microorganisms, which is biocementation. The toxic substances are broken into safe components that can be disposed of safely.
- In the electronic industry, biotechnology can produce slim electronic products that are similar to plastic materials, but at half the cost of regular materials. This has supported popular productions in electronic manufacturing.
- Biomanufacturing is used in consumer products, such as textiles, nylon, beauty items, and more. These fields can benefit highly if the biomanufacturing supply chain is integrated effectively. It can also help reduce waste and cost.
- Food manufacturing utilises biotechnology efficiently to enhance the fermentation process, mainly in, amino acid fortification, extension of shelf life, food safety, and digestion improvements. This technology helps food manufacturers avoid artificial processes entirely.
- Biomanufacturing in pharmaceuticals isn’t new. There are several user cases, such as vaccine production, antibacterials, medicines, molecule production, and more. It’s actually effective to utilise this technology in the health niche as health-related challenges are on the rise.
- Industrial biotechnology uses microorganisms to produce large-scale items, including fossil fuels, bioplastics, agriculture, and eco-friendly chemical production.
Advantages of Biomanufacturing
Now that you know some of the prominent industries that utilise biotech, let’s see why they use it.
- Using biomanufacturing instead of traditional manufacturing helps save a lot of energy. It uses energy-saving processes that usually need sunlight and other elements that are naturally accessible from the environment. The lower usage of resources is beneficial to the consumers, manufacturers, and the environment as a whole.
- Empowers sustainability through careful consumption of resources and better disposal and recycling options. Global long-term sustainability can also be achieved as the current challenges of toxic materials and waste production can be mitigated through this technology.
- These advanced technologies offer opportunities for better innovations – from the medical sphere to electronics, we are seeing drastic growth.
However, regardless of the increasing interest in biomanufacturing trends and processes, there are certain barriers to commercialisation and global acceptance. These barriers often arise from misleading information and oversimplification of the concept.
The exciting and empowering technology of biomanufacturing should be equipped right to benefit from it. Remember, it is also poised to advance further!
Conclusion
As biomanufacturing evolves, its capacity to manage the world’s most urgent challenges—such as climate change, waste management, and health crises—is beyond doubt. While challenges to adoption are apparent, the path from lab to factory floor has only started, leading the way for a sustainable future.