Monitoring and control of bioproducts from conception to production in real-time using an optical biosensor

The ability to observe biological interactions in real-time using optical b iosensor technology provides the scientist/engineer with a valuable analyti cal tool to analyze biological molecules. Production of biological products is a growing area, but the course of discovery through to production is le ngthy and complex, especially for therapeutic products. However, the econom ics of developing new products are clear, time to market for a new product is the primary consideration. Limited patent lifetimes, the need to get a r eturn on the investment in research and gain competitive advantage by launc hing products before competitors all contribute to the necessity to get pro ducts to market. The ability of biosensor technology to give rapid, direct information on key biological parameters, (such as product concentration), makes it a suitable analytical tool to help accelerate the development of b iological products. It is difficult to conceive how direct measurements of this speed and selectivity can be possible with other analytical methods. T his paper aims to describe how this potential can be brought to use from bi ological product conception and discovery all the way through to process op eration and quality control.