Prolific Machines Announces the Completion of Optogenetic Bioproduction at 200L, Marking the World’s Largest Demonstration of Optogenetics to Date

• The 200-liter run is also the first demonstration of optogenetics in a stainless-steel bioreactor.
• The milestone highlights the company’s ability to deliver optogenetics benefits to biopharma partners at commercial scale.
• This capability accelerates Prolific’s ability to solve significant protein production challenges as it expands its roster of light-controlled manufacturability offerings.

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prolific Machines, the Photomolecular platform leader, announced the world’s largest demonstration of optogenetics to date. The 200-liter run was completed at Prolific’s Emeryville, CA pilot production facilities by the company’s expert team of bioprocessing, optogenetic, hardware, and machine learning experts. Not only does this mark a significant scientific achievement, but supports Prolific’s ability to deliver commercial-scale biomanufacturing solutions to prospective partners, from early-stage biotechs to leading pharmaceutical makers.

The production run also showcases the ability of Prolific’s light-inducible expression systems to precisely and reversibly control gene expression in mammalian cells. This presents a critical advantage for biologics manufacturing, especially with difficult-to-produce candidates. A Prolific-designed, plug-and-play illumination system was used to precisely control cellular activation with light. The company will continue to develop its closed-loop control systems to continuously monitor and adjust cellular activation based on real-time data. This data will also be used to determine optimal future run parameters.

“We started Prolific in 2020 driven by the deep belief that light is the best way to control biology. Less than five years later, thanks to our incredible team, we are not only proving that this is true, but demonstrating that it is possible at scale,” said Deniz Kent, PhD, Prolific Machine's Co-Founder & CEO. “This 200-liter milestone is really just the beginning. We are enabling a more efficient and effective biomanufacturing future driven by Prolific’s driverless bioreactors. The key is creating a shared language between the machines and the cells, which is light. We believe we can bring the same level of autonomy to biomanufacturing that driverless vehicles have brought to the automotive industry.”

The run is yet another major step taken by Prolific to commercialize molecular optogenetics, a novel technology that uses light-sensitive proteins to drive cellular behavior. These photoreceptors are sourced from light-sensitive organisms found in nature, like plants or bacteria, and are engineered into a target cell line to control any biological function. By delivering light in specific patterns, intensities, and wavelengths, Prolific can obtain precise and dynamic cellular control across any cell type.

“Not only have we transferred the ability to control cellular function with light from the research lab to commercial applications, we have now done this at scale,” said Maximilian Hoerner, PhD, Prolific Machine's Head of Optogenetics and a former PI in the space. “The implications for this are significant as we work to manufacture previously unproducible biologics candidates for partners and accelerate their ability to bring these to clinic.”

About Prolific Machines

Prolific Machines is redefining biologics manufacturing, offering solutions from benchtop to manufacturing scale. Founded in 2020, the Bay Area company’s pioneering Photomolecular platform brings together advanced optogenetic tools and proprietary closed-loop control capabilities to solve major protein production challenges for early-stage biotechnology and leading pharmaceutical partners. The company is on a mission to create a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow and is supported by leading investors, including Ki Tua Fund, the corporate venture arm of the Fonterra Co-operative Group; Breakthrough Energy Ventures; Mayfield; SOSV; In-Q-Tel; and others. Visit prolific-machines.com to learn more, and contact [e-mail] to qualify for a risk-free manufacturability assessment.