Using scale-down bioreactors to accelerate vaccine production

A global research consortium including the Max Planck Institute and ProBioGen AG used Simcenter M-Star to design a 3D-printed down-scaled bioreactors that accurately mimicked the mixing behavior of large-scale systems, enabling reliable scale-up of vaccine production. This platform supported the use of viral sensitizers (VSEs)—small molecules that inhibit innate antiviral responses—to boost yields of a yellow fever–Zika virus vaccine (YF-ZIK). Optimized VSE combinations increased viral titers by up to eightfold and reduced manufacturing costs per dose by as much as 61%, offering a scalable strategy for intensifying live virus vaccine production.