Getting breakthrough biotechnologies to market: Why innovation is not enough

By James O´Brien

With biotechnology advancing at an astounding rate, last year's innovations often become routine tools for today's breakthroughs. For example, next generation sequencing (NGS) is now an integral step in CRISPR/Cas9 constructions. The interplay between hardware, software, and biotechnologies is continually in flux, as some developments see payoff more quickly than others, and emerging breakthroughs can suddenly change the game altogether. With such constant and unpredictable change, how can you ensure that your own innovations move smoothly from concept to solution as quickly as possible?

Innovation isn't everything

The fierce competition to bring new biotechnologies to market drives scientists to push the limits of science. They risk their budgets and reputations, sometimes testing wild ideas in the hope of advancing and further refining their innovations. But a pilot solution in a vial isn't a product. The job isn't done until an innovation can be proven and practically implemented on a larger scale. Stable, optimized workflows are a fundamental requirement for bringing any new biotechnology product to market. Meticulous multi-parameter design of experiments is required for optimization. However, doing this manually can be time-consuming and tedious. Add the need for speed and scale-up, and the potential for error creeps in.

Innovation meets automation: Could partnering with integration experts help you bring breakthrough biotechnologies to market faster?

The laboratory automation challenge: keeping pace with rapid change

Part of the solution to efficiently optimizing and scaling up workflows is laboratory automation, but that's not the whole story either. But when biological innovation is moving so quickly, it can require something new every day. There may not be a readily integrated automation platform that meets the unique needs of new and evolving workflows in your laboratory or manufacturing facility. Innovation in automation instrumentation happens on its own timeline that may not match the unique needs of brand-new biotechnology.

With so much potential for major impacts on human medicine, agricultural biology, and environmental sustainability there is tremendous pressure to bring biotechnology innovations to practical application quickly. Automation solutions need to keep pace, and that could mean anything from better integration of existing components to inventing a completely new system or process.

Collaborating to deliver

How can you develop the tools and technologies you need to keep up with your rapidly evolving development program? Fortunately, you don't have to. One of the easiest ways to accelerate progress and reduce risk is to find an experienced partner that has the complementary skills and resources needed to help you deliver sooner. The right collaborator can work alongside you throughout the most dynamic phases of your project to innovate, invent, and integrate automation components into fully optimized and tested solutions.

At Tecan, we have dedicated technology teams ready to help create and implement the unique customized automation solutions you need at every stage of your development program.

Do you have questions about how laboratory automation can keep up with your latest innovations?

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