AbbVie Bioresearch Center (ABC) is pioneering single use bioreactors within AbbVie. These bioreactors use a plastic bag inserted into the reactor to contain the reaction contents. This is in contrast to traditional stainless steel reactors which require regular cleaning By using single use bioreactors, we can reduce energy costs associated with cleaning and more easily achieve our purity standards.
Fermentation: More Than Just Beer
When you think of fermentation, you probably think of foods like pickles, kimchi, beer, or wine. Broadly speaking, fermentation is the process by which microorganisms (like bacteria or yeast) turn one substance into another. Essentially, we use these microorganisms as tiny bio-factories to create valuable products.
Reactions at All Scales
Rather than just starting at our largest reactor size, we start growing cells in a smaller container, then use that container to “seed” a larger container. Just like using a sourdough starter to create bread! This is important because it allows for the cells to grow faster than if we just started in a huge reactor (and they can get huge!).
What Organisms Do We Use?
The two most common types of cells used are bacteria and mammalian cells. Yeasts are also used in fermentation, although they are more commonly found in food production and bioprocessing.
| Bacteria | Mammalian Cells | |
| Why we use them |
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| Commonly used organism | E. coli | Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) |
| Product example | Erythromycin | Risankizumab |
Site Spotlight: ABC (Worcester, MA) and Buildings F1 and F2 (North Chicago)
F1 and F2 in North Chicago make up the bulk of our fermentation efforts within contract manufacturing. Much of the product produced here are antibiotics that contribute to saving hundreds of thousands of lives globally. This is accomplished through our massive fermenters in North Chicago, the largest of which are 4 stories tall and hundreds of cubic feet!
