187: From Biology Is Messy to Designable: The Smart Bioprocessing Transformation with Carmen Jungo Rhême - Part 1

Almost every corner of modern medicine and sustainable food production today is facing a massive challenge: how do we outpace drug-resistant “superbugs” and create food for a growing population using fewer resources? The answer, it turns out, may come down to how well we understand and control the biomanufacturing processes underpinning these biomaterials and biomolecules.

In this episode, David Brühlmann speaks with Carmen Jungo Rhême, Full Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Fribourg, Switzerland and Director of the Biofactory Competence Center. With years in the pharmaceutical industry at Lonza, Merck Serono, UCB Farchim, and CSL Behring, she now tackles global challenges like antimicrobial resistance, sustainable food, and digitalization. From her beginnings in chemical engineering at EPFL to leading at the nexus of academia and industry, Carmen is helping shape the future of smarter, more robust biotech.

Here are three reasons why this episode is a must-listen:

• Antimicrobial Resistance - Smarter Solutions: Carmen explains how phage therapy, recombinant proteins like endolysins, and smart bioprocess design are helping outmanoeuvre drug-resistant pathogens. In partnership with the University Hospital in Lausanne, her team is developing GMP-ready phage production using quality-by-design methods from mainstream recombinant protein manufacturing, bringing phages back into clinical relevance.
• From Cheese Whey to Microalgae: Applying pharma-grade principles to food, BCC is turning Swiss cheese by-products into nutrient-rich microalgae, offering a new path for sustainable protein and lipid production while transforming food waste into valuable resources.
• Digitalization - The Connecting Thread: Mapping and controlling hundreds of process parameters is key to robust, reproducible innovation. Carmen shows how data-driven process characterization links antimicrobial strategies and sustainable food production through the power of digital analytics.

Curious about how smarter bioprocesses could help you solve tomorrow’s biggest biotech challenges? Tune in to hear how Carmen’s approach could transform your perspective on both health and food security.

Connect with Carmen Jungo Rhême:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carmenjungo

Website: www.heia-fr.ch/en/applied-research/bcc/

Next step:

Book a 20-minute call to help you get started on any questions you may have about bioprocessing analytics: https://bruehlmann-consulting.com/call

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