The ScaleBio project, funded by Région Centre Val de Loire, is a collaboration between the BBV laboratory and the industrial group Axyntis.
Our objective is to promote the development of bioproduction approaches in Région Centre-Val de Loire, recognized as a key element of the France 2030 recovery plan. More specifically, it aims to secure the supply of precursors for the synthesis of two major anticancer drugs (vincristine, etoposide) by relocating their production to our region.
Building on our previous collaborations, we have developed, in partnership with Axyntis, microbial cell factories capable of producing these precursors on demand, following the transfer of plant genes into yeast. This strategy has already enabled the synthesis of these molecules at the highest yields ever reported, but only at a laboratory scale.
With ScaleBio, we aim to adapt these cell factories to cultures in volumes compatible with industrial use, leveraging the technical platform of the Bio3 Institute. We also aim to refine the final purification process of the produced precursors and to train Axyntis personnel in bioproduction techniques.
Ultimately, this project will enable the deployment of these cell factories in future bioproduction units to be established at the Axyntis site in Pithiviers.
