AsterFlow™ is a single-use, compact, configurable filtration platform tool ideal for downstream processes such as clarification, concentration, diafiltration, purification and recovery for a variety of products. The system is designed to be compliant to 21 CFR Part 11 that is suitable for process development, manufacturing of clinical trial and cGMP material. Especially in the case of vaccine manufacturing, where impurities must be removed, and formulation must be highly safe for human or animal

In early 2020, several companies have worked round-the-clock to commercialize the first COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinovac, Moderna, Astrazeneca/Oxford, and Gamaleya emerged as the leading companies to develop the most widely used and distributed COVID-19 vaccines to date. These vaccines have shown promising results in controlled clinical trials, paving the way for their approval and emergency use authorizations. Their performance in the real world, or vaccine effectiveness, rema

Esco Healthcare unveils the first issue of its quarterly newsletter, The Health Quarters (The HQ), featuring its esteemed project highlight, informative behind-the-product technological principles and know-hows, as well as its latest innovative product advancements.

Growing adherent cells in culture involves a treated surface for attachment (in monolayers or in vivo) while suspension cells are free-floating in the medium.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an uncharted territory where almost all countries of the world have established the use of mouth-and-nose protection (i.e. face masks, face shield) to prevent virus transmission.

Health authorities around the world are on high alert due to an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus that was first detected at the Chinese city of Wuhan. The World Health Organization has declared a coronavirus outbreak Dece

Officially named by the World Health Organization as COVID-19, the recent coronavirus disease outbreak that started in Wuhan, China remains a global health concern. The causative pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, is recognized as a sister to severe acute respira

Viral vectors are derived from parental wild-type viruses, whose pathogenic genes are removed and replaced with gene of interest. These viruses deliver the gene of interest which alters gene expression in target cells. Their discovery led to clinical applications in treating chronic diseases such as neurodegenerative, ocular, and cancer.

Cell attachment in 3-dimensional carriers is proven advantageous for adherent cell growth to mimic the in vivo environment. However, harvesting of adherent cells such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and Vero cells, hinders a faster development for cell-based biopharmaceutical and biotechnology. It is considered as one of the most challenging and time-consuming part in the whole cell-culture process.

Throughout the year, challenges affecting the animal health sector have been all over the news and have prompted actions worldwide. Among the list of animal health diseases this year, the African swine fever (ASF) caused recent economic losses from backyard/smallholder to large-scale commercial farms in Asia, Africa, and some parts of Europe. Socioeconomic losses even included culling of pigs in China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

SINGAPORE – A single use, closed, and automated bioreactor has recently been launched as the latest addition to the Tide Motion technology platform. CelCradle^™ X (CCX) was recently completed and manufactured in an ISO 13485 Esco factory and complies with cGMP requirements and 21 CFR part 11. The system was developed to support small-scale process development that can also satisfy GMP standards for clinical applications.

Global influenza epidemics emerge seasonally, and health authorities recommend that yearly vaccination is the most effective method for protection. Several vaccines such as inactivated, live-attenuated, quadrivalent, and pandemic influenza vaccines are available to target specific influenza strains. While this may be true, production of such vaccines has a limited timeframe depicting a crucial step for its release in the market. Vaccines can be produced faster through tec

Biopeptides are organic, isolated small fragments formed by amino acids joined by amides or peptide bonds and derived mainly from food proteins like hydrolysates, shellfish, fungi, and fermented dairy products. They are considered the new generation of biologically active regulators, not only because of their high tissue affinity, specificity, stability and low toxicity, but also, their positive effects on the human body. They can function as intrinsic signalling molecule

Esco Aster successfully launched TideXcell™, an agile adherent scale-up bioreactor and the latest addition to the Tide Motion bioreactor platform at BioProcess International (BPI) in Boston. The team will now advance from Boston to Barcelona and continue its aim to provide enabling technologies for the advancement of the vaccine manufacturing industry. About 600 visitors are expected to attend the World Vaccine Congress exhibition in Barcelona, Spain from Oct. 28-31

Cellular agriculture is now on the rise due to the impact of livestock and poultry industries on the environment, animal ethics, and even human health. The rising global population equates to higher demand for protein products - requiring technologies that are more sustainable, ethically sound, and environment-friendly

With the aim to comprehend complex cellular behaviours and mechanisms of various diseases such as cancer, in vitro researches paved new way for contemporary assays and techniques: breakthroughs in medical biotechnology including vaccine production, recombinant proteins, monoclonal antibodies, tissue engineering, gene therapy, and cells for transplantation have become more robust while the approach for cell culture researches became very upfront and audacious. Among these

Hayflick and Jacobs have established and developed human diploid cell strains (HDCSs) for Wistar Institute (WI)-38 and Medical Research Council (MRC)-5, respectively, over 50 years ago for vaccine production. Since then, these two cell strains have been accepted as standards for HDCSs and licensed worldwide for the production of vaccines including: inactivated and oral polio vaccine, rabies, rubella, measles, chicken pox, mumps, and hepatitis A. Applications for HDCSs ext

Vaccines have been one of the tools used to combat infectious diseases since the 18th century. Their ability to induce the production of protective antibodies against specific epitopes of disease-causing pathogen, has saved the lives of countless humans and animals for centuries.

Bubble boy disease was termed when David Vetter was born with a disease that robbed him of an immune system rendering the boy to spend his entire life in a sterilized plastic bubble. Bubble boy disease, also called as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), is a rare inherited congenital disorder that is sometimes fatal; characterized by little or no immune response.

Human and animal contact has never been more prevalent than today, especially with the continued human expansion, reliance on animal products for nourishment, as well as rising population.

The single-use bioreactor (SUB) global market, especially in Asia Pacific, is very driven that it is expected to grow in demand in the coming years. It is with adoption of SUBs during research scale that enables biopharmaceutical organizations to have shorter development timelines, high production efficiency, and low cost of goods.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are derived from skin or blood cells that have been reprogrammed into an embryonic stem-cell like cells capable of differentiating into various human cells for therapeutic purposes.

The last week of April is the week where World Health Organizer (WHO) will celebrate the World Immunization Week that serves as a great reminder that vaccines are powerful tools used to protect everyone from certain types of diseases.

Illnesses such as measles, chickenpox, and mumps are diseases that should have never been underestimated or even complacent about. The year 2019 has been welcomed with panic as measles have alarming report of cases. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to date, five measles outbreaks in the US have already been reported, most of the population diagnosed with the disease are of children 10 years old or younger.

Oncolytic virotherapy is considered as one of the major breakthroughs in immunotherapy especially in terms of enhancing the immune response to tumor. Oncolytic virus, a genetically modified virus, infects and kills cancer cells but leaves the normal cells unharmed; after which, tumor antigens will be released by the dying cancer cells that allow the cancer to be recognized by the immune system.

From antimicrobial resistance to Ebola, the World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten health threats in the world. Vaccine hesitancy is the refusal or the skepticism in the acceptance of vaccines; despite its availability and scientific evidence of showing efficacy in preventing diseases.

January 7 - South Africa's Department of Agriculture quarantined an area in Vhembe, Limpopo, where an estimated of 15,000 cattle and sheep were affected with Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD).

One of the significant trends this 2019 is the expanding research in immunotherapy. As one of the hot topics, the development and manufacturing of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy pipelines will continue to progress towards commercialization.

Influenza or Flu is a highly contagious respiratory viral infection caused by type A or B influenza viruses. People tend to mistakenly compare flu with common colds, but influenza causes serious complications that can sometimes lead to death.

The global impact of rotavirus infection in infants and young children affects child morbidity and mortality worldwide at a high rate. Although first identified in animals in the 1960s, rotavirus (RV) was later discovered through the examination of a part of the small intestine (duodenum) of children who have severe diarrhea.

Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), is a rare disease affecting the nervous system and is caused by the Enterovirus 68. Since AFM affects the nerves, it can weaken not only the arms and the legs, but also respiratory muscles, which can lead to respiratory failure. Many symptoms of AFM develop after a viral infection such as poliovirus, West Nile virus, and adenovirus. Hence, some cases have a clear correlation why some infected people develop AFM.

Japanese encephalitis virus or JEV is a debilitating mosquito-borne Flavivirus disease that belongs to the same genus as dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses. The rise of global transportation, trade, and climate change allow insects to easily carry disease thus, infecting animals as well as humans. Most JEV infections are endemic in tropical and subtropical regions. It later causes death when left untreated.

Agricultural animals play an important role in economic and socio-cultural aspects in terms of food supply, source of income, transport and so much more. These animals are taken care of to reproduce and to provide good quality products.

Exosomes provide promise in its potential for therapeutic application. The role of these extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a nano-vehicle for transporting molecular payloads, is designed to treat diseases. For example, catalase incorporated in exosomes, targets and delivers this cargo to the brain tissue, leading to a promising option for Parkinson's Disease (PD) therapy.

Since March 2018, Thailand has been trying to contain rabies outbreak by conducting vaccinations for 10 million cats and dogs around the country. According to the Department if Livestock Development (DLD) there have been 400 confirmed rabies cases with a total of 37 Thailand provinces that were declared temporary rabies epidemic zones. Due to this, people brought in pets to be vaccinated; as such, vaccines are now running low.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) – T cell therapy is the first FDA approved immunotherapy to cure cancer. T cells are the backbone of this therapy because they are the killer cells of our immune system that fight foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, or tumor cells.

The emerging role of exosomes as a natural nano-vehicle offers important advantages for drug delivery compared to other nanoparticulate delivery systems. Looking at a bigger picture, exosomes are a part of the family of “bioactive vesicles” that are involved in several biological and pathological processes.

The immune system has evolved its response to threats, protecting the host from pathogens. The ability of the immune system to differentiate itself from pathogens is through intercellular communication which is a key in this process. Cell to cell communication or signaling involves the transfer of chemokines, cytokines, and direct cell contact.

Stem cells are the most promising and most exciting area in medicine. Stem cells are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division. It can be induced to embody cells with special functions. Due to their potential in regenerating and repairing damaged tissues, scientists are exploring and optimizing stem cells abilities to treat different types of diseases.

Esophageal cancer is one of most frequently diagnosed cancer in Asia specifically in China and Japan. According to International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR), an estimated 17,497 new cases and 11,746 deaths in China; and 17,497 new cases and 11,746 deaths caused by esophageal cancer in Japan last year.

The word “beauty” comes in many definitions that change over time. Although beauty and preference are based on the individual’s taste and personality, beauty products help in a great way to enhance one’s external appearance.

Cervical cancer is the second most common causes of cancer death in the world especially in Southeast Asia. It is frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 44. According to International Association of Cancer Registries, about 13, 240 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed and about 2, 170 women will die from cervical cancer this year.

According to American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), more women are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other cancer. Breast cancer is a form of cancer that starts with an abnormal growth of cells in the breast tissue. These cells usually form a tumor, that can be malignant, growing into surrounding tissues invading other distant areas of the body.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) belongs to the family Parvoviridae and genus Dependovirus. Because of its non-pathogenicity, the medical field gave little to no interest at all. However, as gene therapy gains more attention, scientists are scrambling to find the best possible viral vectors for human gene therapy applications. AAV can target specific cells to correct disease-causing protein malfunction. Currently it is one of the commonly used viruses in gene

Based on National Center for Health Statistics, 8.2% of death in the United States of America was caused by flu last December 30, 2017. The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring the evolution of influenza virus to produce the specific vaccine.

Stem cell therapies have been widely known to treat numerous diseases such as cancer. However, stem cells have also been a huge head turner in the skin care world. Cosmeceutical science is advancing to discover and deliver skin treatments that can aid in skin regeneration, rejuvenation, and aging.

Aseptic bioprocessing is a major challenge in vaccine manufacturing, whether for microbial, viral, recombinant protein, and polysaccharide vaccines. The operation, from cell culture to cell harvesting should be in a pristine environment.

Therapeutic application of cells or cell-based therapy is a flourishing research field that offers a transformative approach to the healthcare industry. This type of research provides hope not only for treating incurable or rare diseases, but also the possibility to cure them. For the manufacture of cell-based therapies, cells are optimized to produce therapeutic agents. Generating an adequate number of cells with retained cell function and quality represents an essential factor for product effi

Biomanufacturing companies have long sought better approaches with regards to bioprocessing. Due to rapidly fluctuating market demands for biologics, there is a growing interest in the benefits of continuous bioprocessing, mainly for cell culture. This process had increasingly driven biomanufacturing companies to develop innovative solutions for highly flexible and cost-effective production.

From the world’s most certified Biological Safety Cabinet manufacturer, Esco is now the only manufacturer of biocontainment solutions with vertically integrated and regional factories to provide customized Class III Biological Safety Cabinets which exceed international standards from NSF 49 to EN 12469.

Esco VacciXcell is proud to launch the new TideCell® with enhanced features and now controlled by Siemens HMI/PLC in USA soil.

Poliomyelitis also known as Polio or infantile paralysis, is a highly contagious viral infection caused by poliovirus. It invades the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis, breathing problems and even death. It is caused by one of the three polioviruses from genus Enterovirus: Human poliovirus 1 (HPV1), Human poliovirus 2 (HPV2) and Human poliovirus 3 (HPV 3). Polio can strike at any age, but mainly affects children under 5 years old.

Glucose is the main source of energy for cells specially in in-vitro cultures. Glucose gives cells the required energy in order to grow and proliferate. Sadly reserchers and scientists around the globe do not know the proper levels of glucose required by their culture. Learn why measuring glucose is important and what is the best way to do it.

Rabies is a disease caused by a rabies virus of the genus Lyssavirus. It is most often transmitted from a bite of a rabid animal. The virus replicates in the animal carrying it and is retained in their salivary glands. Although dogs are commonly known to transmit rabies; skunks, bats, racoons, and foxes are among the animals that are reported to transmit vast majority of rabies cases. It is endemic on all continents except Antartica.

Planning for a vacation to that tropical paradise? Aside from having your plane ticket, hotel and itinerary ready maybe you should also consider getting vaccinated for yellow fever. Do not let yellow ruin your summer!

Tide motion is a novel and innovative system for high density culture of adherent cells. Learn why tide motion can solve all your adherent culture problems!

Attenuated vaccines contain live viruses albeit "weakened". These viruses live such that they can induce an immune response but not strong enough to cause disease to the host. Inactivated vaccines contain inactive or "killed" viruses. The viruses were inactivated using either chemical or physical processes but retain their composition thus still allowing them to induce an immune response.

Avian influenza, also known as avian flu or bird flu, is a type A influenza caused by viral infection in birds. Generally speaking, avian flu can only infect birds and poultry but there has been cases wherein humans were infected through direct or indirect contact with infected birds. Notable subtypes of avian flu are H5N1 and H7N9

During in-vitro cell culture, it is important that the culture environment mimic the chosen cell line's original in-vivo environment for it to grow and propagate. Glucose, being the main source of energy for heterotrophic cells, is one of the parameters that should be carefully monitored during the culturing process.

The American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) and the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) held their 59^th and 120^th annual meetings, respectively, at Sheraton Greensboro, North Carolina last October 13-19, 2016. The meeting was well attended by both members and non-members of both associations.

Biopharmaceuticals are therapeutics derived from biological sources; they are a promising and growing trend in the treatment of diseases. In contrast to their synthetic counterparts, biopharmaceuticals are much more specific and targeted and therefore have fewer side effects. Furthermore, they do not merely treat the symptoms of diseases but can treat the diseases at their cause.

Biopharmaceuticals are therapeutics derived from biological sources; they are a promising and growing trend in the treatment of diseases. In contrast to their synthetic counterparts, biopharmaceuticals are much more specific and targeted and therefore have fewer side effects.

VacciXcell’s TideCell® System takes vaccine production to a higher level, with new enhanced features and more options for better flexibility. Users can choose between single-use and multiple-use and different capacities and options for the different components of the TideCell® system.

When an animal epidemic breaks out, the economy suffers grave losses due to agricultural losses, as the infected animals can die or their meat, milk, and other products are no longer fit for human consumption. Moreover, sanitation and immunization in farms are not well established and thus, diseases can easily spread among the herd, leading to further losses.

In September 2012, the first case of the deadly Mers-Cov virus was reported in the Middle East and has since then spread within the Arabian Peninsula. In 2015, the largest Mers-Cov outbreak outside the Arabian Peninsula occurred in South Korea. According to WHO, there is a total of 591 Mers-Cov related deaths since 2012 among the 1652 reported cases in 26 countries around the world.

VacciXcell is proud to be awarded a walk in chiller project for a developing country for vaccine storage.