SOSV portfolio company Prolific Machines recently spoke to FiercePharma following a big milestorne for its photomolecular platform, which uses light and optogenetics to “directly and dynamically” manipulate gene expression in living cells.
The company announced it has achieved 21 g/L productivity over 15 days in an intensified fed-batch Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line run for a monoclonal antibody (mAb), a level that tracks significantly above typical industry standards.
What makes this notable isn’t just the number, but the approach behind it.
Instead of relying on traditional methods, where genetic systems are effectively “always on,” or molecular approaches where, once added, inputs can’t be removed or dynamically adjusted, Prolific is introducing a new level of control into the process.
By using light as a signal, the company’s platform enables precise, real-time, reversible control of gene expression, allowing operators to directly influence how cells behave throughout a production run. The implication is a potential “step change in traditional biomanufacturing.”