DTN 121: Neo-Industrial Biomanufacturing

Plus: Starlink narco subs, robotic coyotes, autonomous surgical robots, deep sea mineral extraction, nuclear waste reprocessing, reversing Parkinson's, and more.

Neo-Industrial Biomanufacturing Poised to Transform Biotech

“Despite the massive improvements in scale-up enabled by single-use bioreactors and a scale-out philosophy, going from process development scale to larger bioreactors remains tricky. That’s especially true when responsibilities are transferred among academic labs, contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs), and biopharma companies, each of which may use different equipment.

Arsenale Bioyards recognized the inefficiencies and developed a platform that could radically change biomanufacturing, much like the Bessemer converter in the mid-19th century transformed the steel industry, making mass production not only possible but also cost-effective.”

US Army’s robot coyotes. Photo: Engineer Research and Development Center

The U.S. Army has introduced “robot coyotes,” unmanned ground vehicles designed to deter wildlife from airfields and reduce aircraft damage caused by animal encounters. Developed by the Engineer Research and Development Center, these life-sized coyote replicas roam autonomously, using affordable off-the-shelf platforms to mimic predator behavior. At $3,000 per unit, they offer a cost-effective alternative to manual labor and traditional wildlife control methods. Future upgrades may include AI and autonomous navigation to improve detection and efficiency. (via NextGenDefense)

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