Emerson, GE link up on protein purification
Healthcare aimed at providing faster, simpler and more
cost-efficient solutions for protein purification - the most
critical operation in manufacturing of biotech medicines.
Protein purification is the final step in biotech medicine manufacturing, where chromatography and filtering act to purify the final medicinal product.
The new marketing collaboration will see cross-promotion of Emerson's digital process automation system and GE Healthcare's chromatography and filtration control system software to customers, with the claim that it can deliver control consistency across the biotech manufacturing process.
The control system software from GE Healthcare provides real-time control of the protein purification unit operation (chromatography, filtration or other liquid handling systems). It also offers fast and easy method development facilitation, method upscale/downscale, and powerful evaluation of purification results.
Meanwhile, the digital process automation system from Emerson is a core component of its PlantWeb digital plant architecture, which uses networked data and control systerms to automate process plants. Emerson claims this architecture improves time-to-market and provides 'exceptional' efficiency in large-scale biotechnology manufacturing.
John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management, said the agreement would allow customers to "reduce the risk and complexities associated with scale, from the pilot plant to major production unit, and provide a consistent automation philosophy across the … entire facility."
"Benefits to our customers include streamlined validation, reduced start-up times, and simpler, more efficient day-to-day operation," he added.
The companies said in a statement that the meeting the needs of both engineers and biochemists in pilot plants, laboratories, and large-scale manufacturing plants.
