Prolific Machines scales optogenetic bioproduction to 200 liters in industry first

Prolific Machines has announced the successful completion of a 200-liter optogenetic bioproduction run, the largest demonstration of molecular optogenetics to date and the first to be completed in a stainless-steel bioreactor. The milestone was achieved at the company’s pilot production site in Emeryville, California, and marks a significant step forward in the commercial readiness of light-controlled biomanufacturing technologies.

Founded in 2020, Prolific Machines has built its technology platform around the belief that light is the most precise tool for controlling biological processes. Its proprietary Photomolecular platform enables precise, reversible control of gene expression using light-sensitive proteins, offering an alternative to chemical inducers or static promoters in biologics production.

“This 200-liter milestone is really just the beginning,” commented Deniz Kent, PhD, Co-founder and CEO of Prolific Machines. “We are enabling a more efficient and effective biomanufacturing future driven by Prolific’s driverless bioreactors. The key is creating a shared language between the machines and the cells, which is light.”

The company’s plug-and-play illumination system enabled targeted activation of optogenetic circuits within mammalian cells at scale, delivering consistent light-based control over cellular function throughout the run. The system is designed to support closed-loop automation, with real-time data feedback used to optimize activation parameters and drive future bioprocess improvements.

The demonstration supports Prolific’s ambition to apply optogenetics to some of the most challenging biologics in development. “Not only have we transferred the ability to control cellular function with light from the research lab to commercial applications, we have now done this at scale,” said Maximilian Hoerner, PhD, Head of Optogenetics. “The implications for this are significant as we work to manufacture previously unproducible biologics candidates for partners and accelerate their ability to bring these to clinic.”

With applications ranging from difficult-to-express therapeutic proteins to more flexible upstream processing, Prolific believes its technology could offer biopharma partners a new lever to improve yields, reduce time-to-clinic, and lower costs in precision medicine.

By integrating optogenetics, bioprocess hardware, and machine learning, Prolific Machines continues to expand its offering as it seeks to become a full-stack partner for next-generation biologics production.

(Main photo shows Alex Toda, Senior Director of Bioprocess Development, alongside proprietary illumination hardware and a 200-liter stainless-steel bioreactor)