2019 Graduate Scholarship Awards

Prof. Michael Betenbaugh (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering,
Johns Hopkins University)

AMBIC (AMBIC.org) is an industrial-academic consortium dedicated to addressing research and development challenges in upstream cell culture bioprocessing identified by the 22 industrial and 2 government members. Focal areas of the center include industrially-relevant biology, process monitoring and control, and consensus and standardization issues. Proposed areas of common interest to industrial members are elucidated through summer workshops organized around the topical areas of cells, raw materials, processes, and equipment, resulting in a call for proposal to academic members. Academics then present proposals which are voted on by industrial members to yield 2-year research and development projects in academic labs that address these challenges under the guidance and mentorship of our industrial sponsors during monthly meeting. These activities have resulted in the start-up and execution of approximately 18 active and several graduated research projects under way at the academic participating institutions including Johns Hopkins University, University of Delaware, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Clemson University, and University of Maryland, College Park. This presentation will discuss the activities of the AMBIC center followed by an overview of the projects underway within AMBIC. Projects currently under way include efforts to develop a community reference cell, process, and media, understanding and manipulating the epigenome, identification of inhibitory waste products, sensors development for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) and “Smart Marbles”, adaptation of process models for cell culture media and process feeding, controlling glycolytic pathways through chemical additives, extracellular vesicles, ER stress pathways, host cell proteins, nutrient concentrates, and chemical complexation. Progress obtained on these projects will be discussed along with a description of how the biopharma community is collaborating to identify and
address critical biomanufacturing challenges..

About the speaker

Michael Betenbaugh, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins University and lead PI of the Advanced Mammalian Biomanufacturing Innovation Center (AMBIC), is known for integrating systems biology with cellular, metabolic, and biochemical engineering for eukaryotic biotechnology applications. He has made multiple landmark contributions in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of mammalian and insect production hosts, in fundamental discoveries in glycobiology, in applying systems biology to understand mammalian cells in biotechnology and biomedicine, and in advancing knowledge about sustainable algal bioprocessing for biofuels and other products. Prof Betenbaugh also led the JHU initiative to be one of the original academic members of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), which uses federal and industry co-funding to fine-tune existing biopharmaceutical manufacturing techniques. He earned his BS in chemical engineering at the University of Virginia in 1981, and his PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware in 1988.

Meeting Logistics:
Register at www.njphast.org

Agenda: 
     Poster Session 5:00 PM 
     Dinner and Presentation 6:30 PM

Location:
Hanover Marriot

1401 RT 10 E , WHIPPANY, NJ 07981

855-335-3397