At the 2023 BIO International Convention, industry representatives explained how biotech firms are reducing their climate impact with biomanufacturing and other approaches.
Why it matters: “The health care sector accounts for about 8.5% of all the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and about 4.5% of worldwide emissions,” mostly from running facilities 24/7 and producing pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and more, reported STAT News.
Why biomanufacturing? By removing hazardous materials and inputs extracted from nature, biomanufacturing can improve the sustainability of manufacturing processes, including in the biopharma space, said a panel moderated by BIO Chief Policy Officer John Murphy.
Here’s how some companies are doing it…
Reducing energy and chemicals: Organon focuses on high-energy manufacturing processes involving pressurized air, steam, and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). Organon is reducing chemical production steps, cutting solvent use 70%, and cutting heavy metal use, said Organon’s Wenny Raaijmakers.
Reducing water in production:Ginkgo Bioworks, which is using biomanufacturing and synbio to make pharmaceuticals, is replacing single-use pipettes with a process that employs sound waves to move liquids and therefore reduce water use, said Ginkgo’s Jennifer Wipf.
Greening biopharma ingredients: Active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are often imported to Europe, could be produced locally with techniques such as microbial fermentation, said EuropaBio Director General Claire Skentelbery.
The role of regulation: Regulations can encourage sustainability, said Skentelbery. But regulators need to appreciate biotech’s potential and encourage its use as a green solution, noted Ginkgo’s Wipf.
Read full coverage on Bio.News.
Watch Ginkgo's Jennifer Wipf talk about how synbio is addressing climate change:
