2025 AIChE Annual Meeting

(158b) Digital Twin Development for Continuous Manufacturing of Xrna-Based Vaccines and Therapeutics

Authors

Busuyi Adebayo - Presenter, Missouri University of Science & Technology
Aaron Cowley, ReciBioPharm
The biopharmaceutical industry is facing increasing demands for rapid, scalable, and cost-effective production of xRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. Meeting these demands requires a shift from traditional batch manufacturing toward integrated, continuous production platforms that offer improved process control, consistency, and agility.

A major innovation in this space is the unification of upstream and downstream operations into a continuous manufacturing system. This real-time, closed-loop approach enhances product quality, reduces time-to-market, and aligns with regulatory initiatives focused on Quality by Design (QbD), Process Analytical Technology (PAT), and real-time release testing (RTRT).

Our work supports this transition by advancing two core areas:

  1. Mechanistic Modeling of Unit Operations – Via model-based process development, we analyze key processes such as in vitro transcription (IVT) reaction, purification, and formulation to understand how process conditions impact product quality.
  2. Model Validation and Data Integration – We ensure model credibility through rigorous validation with experimental data, enabling predictive and regulatory-aligned applications.

Together, these efforts lay the groundwork for digital twins capable of enabling real-time monitoring, optimization, and control of xRNA manufacturing. This approach contributes to a more responsive and resilient biomanufacturing ecosystem, ultimately accelerating the delivery of advanced therapeutics.