case study
THE CONTEXT
A Client relied on the consistent, large-scale procurement of a mission-critical recombinant protein that was required for diverse, complex end applications. Facing escalating operational costs, the Client sought to address the prevailing high market price of this essential protein. The primary need was to implement a more cost-effective and flexible supply chain solution that could readily accommodate fluctuating volumes based on demand within a specific timeline.
THE CHALLENGE
The current industry standard for producing large-scale recombinant proteins relies on mammalian cell lines. Achieving this requires stable cell line development (CLD) with optimal protein expression and growth characteristics. This process, however, presents numerous inherent limitations:
- Significant increase in the production timeline
- Creating a Master Cell Bank (MCB) involves transfection, selection, isolation, amplification, and screening without the certainty of a stable line, and a high risk of epigenetic drift
- Driving up costs due to the need for nutrient-rich media, sophisticated reagents, and expensive staged bioreactors of various capacities necessary to meet fluctuating volume demand
THE STRATEGY
Future Fields developed a tailored approach employing the EntoEngine™ protein expression platform based on Drosophila melanogaster (D. mel). This involved:
- Site-specific insertion of the vector into the D. mel genome
- Screening, crossing, and homozygous mapping along with “Balancer Chromosomes” achieve a guaranteed stable fly line with optimal protein expression
- Modular scale-up production by increasing the number of rearing trays according to the demand
THE IMPACT
Future Fields achieved sequence-to-scale delivery within seven months, directly resolving the Client's challenges of high costs and supply rigidity. The core impact was defined by:
- Significant reduction in the cost
- Guaranteed generation of stable production strains
- Flexible and reliable supply capable of rapid, on-demand scaling
- Consistent and predictable source of the protein
Throughout the entire production campaign, Future Fields exhibited 100% On-Time, In-Full (OTIF) delivery, reflecting exceptional order accuracy and reliability for the mission-critical protein.