196: Monolithic Chromatography Innovations: Solving High-Capacity Purification for Gene Therapy Vectors with Alois Jungbauer - Part 2

What if solving tomorrow’s bioprocessing challenges meant questioning the very physics of chromatography and reimagining downstream processing from the ground up?

For years, large biomolecules like viral vectors and exosomes have squeezed through the limitations of traditional chromatography, leaving scientists to wrestle with capacity trade-offs and slow mass transfer. But what if a fundamental shift could unlock breakthroughs for gene therapies, vaccines, and advanced biologics?

In this thought-provoking episode, host David Brühlmann sits down with Alois Jungbauer, professor emeritus of downstream processing at BOKU University (Vienna) and scientific advisor at BioChromatographix International. Together, they examine the future of chromatography and downstream processing, exploring innovations that tackle the challenges of modern gene therapy, advanced therapeutics, and sustainability in manufacturing.

Alois shares his perspective on anticipating industry needs, the importance of mentorship, and why the physical limits for purification of large biomolecules are yet to be reached.

Episode Highlights:

• The difference between solving current problems and anticipating the needs of the next generation in biotech (00:00)
• The promise and technical details of monolithic chromatography and its application for large modalities like gene therapy vectors and exosomes (03:01)
• Explanation of “inverted morphology" and AXISFLOW™ in new chromatography materials (03:18)
• Challenges and opportunities in continuous gene therapy vector production, and why it’s not widespread yet (07:40)
• The critical role of sustainability in downstream processing, particularly water usage and its impact on the viability and costs of distributed manufacturing (10:30)
• The relationship between reducing water consumption, manufacturing footprint, and cost of goods (12:16)
• Advice on scientific career development: listening, reading, understanding future industry needs, finding a mentor, and having persistence (13:50)
• Broader reflections on the value of science, societal perceptions, and science communication in today’s world (17:34)
• Alois’s key takeaway: downstream processing for gene therapy has not yet reached its physical limits—there is still significant room for improvement (20:26)

If you’re looking for fresh strategies to tackle the bottlenecks of large-molecule purification - and a candid perspective on where the real opportunities and societal responsibilities lie - you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Connect with Alois Jungbauer at leading conferences, including Bioprocessing Summit and Bioprocessing International, or find the next integrated continuous biomanufacturing event where he’s co-chairing.

Connect with Alois Jungbauer:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alois-jungbauer-14984811

Website : www.biochromatographix.com

Next step:

Book a 20-minute call to help you get started on any questions you may have about bioprocessing analytics: https://bruehlmann-consulting.com/call

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