Zylidac Bio, a division of Zydus Lifesciences Limited, has announced a strategic partnership with Prolific Machines to enhance the production of biologics through Prolific’s innovative manufacturing platform. The collaboration aims to scale Prolific’s light-controlled cell line development technology from laboratory settings to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production. Both companies are based in Emeryville, California, enabling close cooperation between their teams.
Prolific Machines has developed a cutting-edge platform that utilises light to regulate protein expression in engineered cell lines. This approach has shown significant improvements in productivity and product quality, particularly for complex biologics such as multi-specific antibodies and fusion proteins. The platform integrates optogenetics-enabled cell lines, illumination systems compatible with standard bioreactors, AI-driven process optimisation, and advanced analytics. Prolific recently achieved a milestone with a record-breaking productivity of 21 g/L in a small-scale monoclonal antibody production run.
Under the agreement, Zylidac Bio will initially conduct a technology transfer of Prolific’s process at a 50-litre scale to replicate the results at Zylidac’s facility. The partnership plans to expand client programmes to 250 litres and eventually to GMP manufacturing scale. Prolific’s illumination hardware will integrate with Zylidac’s existing bioreactors, eliminating the need for new infrastructure and providing a seamless transition from development to production.
The collaboration offers an end-to-end development and manufacturing pathway for Prolific’s clients, from early-stage cell line development to commercial-scale supply. This partnership is expected to facilitate the rapid scale-up of innovative biologics, providing clients with a streamlined process from cell line development to finished product. Analysts suggest that this partnership could significantly enhance the capabilities of both companies in the competitive biologics manufacturing sector, leveraging their complementary strengths to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions.
