McMaster lab produces 100 grams of antibody in 38-day run

McMaster University reported Nov. 5 that researchers at its Sartorius Bioprocess Automation Lab produced about 100 grams of a monoclonal antibody in a continuous, 38-day run. It was the longest of five runs the team has completed since opening the Hamilton lab, and each lasted more than 20 days. McMaster research report

Five runs in a two-litre bioreactor

The researchers grew engineered cells that make a therapeutic protein in a two-litre bioreactor. Their initial work focused on an antibody used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Chemical engineering professor David Latulippe estimated that the longest run produced an amount equivalent to about 2,500 patient doses. The lab’s output is research material, and the team uses it to study production methods. McMaster’s account of the runs

The lab is testing how to keep production running

McMaster and German life sciences company Sartorius opened the lab in January 2025 to test equipment and software for continuous biomanufacturing. The collaboration gives researchers a way to change process settings and study their effect on production using equipment similar to what manufacturers use. Lab opening and research partnership

Each run generates more than 100 gigabytes of process data, McMaster reported. The team is using those measurements to develop better ways to monitor the cells and to detect and correct irregularities as the protein is recovered. The university describes lower manufacturing costs as the aim of the project. Its November report measures laboratory output and does not report commercial production costs. McMaster’s report on process automation