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Narrator:
BIOLOGIC MEDICINES ARE PROTEINS
PRODUCED INSIDE LIVING CELLS,
WHICH ARE MINI FACTORIES
GENERATING THE
GENETICALLY-ENGINEERED
PROTEIN TREATMENTS.
IT'S A DIFFERENT APPROACH
FROM TRADITIONAL DRUGS,
WHICH ARE MANUFACTURED
USING CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS.
BIOLOGICS OFFER HOPE WHERE
OTHER THERAPIES HAVE FAILED.
TO MASS PRODUCE
THESE BIOLOGIC MEDICINES,
SCIENTISTS USE THE
MOLECULAR MACHINERY
INSIDE LIVING CELLS.
THE PROCESS STARTS WITH
THE INSERTION OF
GENETIC MATERIAL
INTO CHINESE HAMSTER
OVARIAN CELLS.
THEY'RE KNOWN AS C.H.O. CELLS.
THEY KEEP THEM FROZEN
IN LIQUID NITROGEN
UNTIL THE NEXT STEP.
IN THE SEED LAB,
A TECHNICIAN THAWS THE CELLS
IN WARM WATER.
HE TRANSFERS THEM
TO A GLASS FLASK
THAT CONTAINS GROWTH MEDIA.
THE GROWTH MEDIA IS COMPRISED OF
HUNDREDS OF NUTRIENTS,
INCLUDING VITAMINS AND MINERALS.
IT'S A RECIPE
TO HELP THE CELLS MULTIPLY.
A WORKER TRANSFERS THE FLASK
THAT CONTAINS THE CELLS
TO THE PRODUCTION SIDE
OF THE PLANT.
THE TEAM INJECTS THE MIXTURE
INTO A FIVE-GALLON CAPACITY
BIOREACTOR.
INSIDE, A PROPELLER
AGITATES THE MIXTURE
TO STIMULATE GROWTH.
OVER A THREE-WEEK PERIOD,
THE NUMBER OF CELLS
INCREASES EXPONENTIALLY.
EACH NEW CELL
IS PROGRAMMED TO PRODUCE
THE TARGET BIOLOGIC PROTEIN.
NEXT, A TECHNICIAN MEASURES
SALTS AND OTHER DRY INGREDIENTS.
HE'S PREPARING A RECIPE
FOR PURIFYING THE PROTEIN LIQUID
ONCE IT'S BEEN SEPARATED
FROM THE CELLS.
HE LABELS THE BAG
AND RECORDS THE INFORMATION
SEPARATELY,
AS REQUIRED BY
GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.
HE ADDS THE INGREDIENTS
TO PURIFIED WATER
IN A MIXING TANK.
AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM
KEEPS TABS ON THE CONDITION
OF THE PURIFICATION SOLUTION.
AFTER SEPARATING
CELLULAR MATERIAL
FROM THE PROTEIN MIXTURE,
THE TEAM PUMPS IT THROUGH
STEEL-AND-GLASS COLUMNS.
HERE, THE PURIFICATION SOLUTION
WORKS WITH RESIN BEADS
TO SEPARATE THE PROTEIN
FROM THE IMPURITIES.
FINALLY, THIS TECHNICIAN
TAKES A SAMPLE
AND CONDUCTS A TEST TO ENSURE
THE MEDICINE IS STERILE.
GROWN IN LIVING CELLS,
THESE BIOLOGIC MEDICINES
ARE NOW ON THEIR WAY
TO POTENTIALLY MAKING
A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE LIVES.
