PhD project within the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University.
Biologics are a class of medications that have had a profound impact on several medical fields, primarily rheumatology and oncology, and have expanded therapeutic options for treating a wide range of diseases. Biologics are commercially produced by living cells, an inherently complex process, in part due to a current lack of understanding of which factors impact the products' efficiency and quality.
This project will apply high-throughput omics characterization of biopharmaceutical production processes based on the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell line. The aim is to enhance understanding of the processes on a molecular level, contributing to future optimization of the products quality and cost. To achieve this, we will apply and develop modern data analytics approaches based on multivariate data analysis and systems biology modelling.
The main challenge in industrial processes based on complex biological systems is efficient real-time monitoring, control, and prediction of the process outcome. Mathematical models, so called 'soft sensors', are quite often used for these purposes. In this project, we will build flux balance analysis models and test their performance as soft sensors to characterize normal and deviating evolution of cellular metabolism during the manufacturing processes. If successful, the developed methodology will enhance the capabilities of other cell-based pharmaceutical processes.
