Smart Biotech Scientist | The CMC and Bioprocessing Podcast for Process Development and Manufacturing Leaders
The go-to CMC and biomanufacturing podcast for bioprocess development scientists and CMC leaders scaling biologics into regulatory-ready therapies with less trial and error.
Practical, execution-focused, and strategic guidance on CMC development, tech transfer, scale-up, GMP readiness, CDMO partnerships, and manufacturing economics for biologics, cell and gene therapies, cultivated meat, and biomaterials.
Hosted by Dr. David Brühlmann, CMC strategist, former Bioprocess Innovation Manager at Merck, PhD in glycoengineering, and close to 20 years of biomanufacturing experience. Smart Biotech Scientist delivers actionable insights for the people doing the hard work of turning promising molecules into scalable, regulatory-ready therapies.
This podcast is for you if:
- You are a process development scientist or CMC lead managing a technology transfer, scale-up, or CDMO partnership
- You are a biologics developer working on upstream or downstream process development, cell culture optimization, or GMP manufacturing readiness
- You are a biotech founder preparing for an IND filing or Series A fundraise, and need a CMC strategy that holds up under investor and regulatory scrutiny
- You are building or advising an early-stage biopharma team and need to make smart manufacturing decisions with limited resources
What you will learn:
CMC strategy and regulatory planning, bioprocess scale-up from lab to clinical and commercial manufacturing, cell culture process development and media optimization, technology transfer best practices, CDMO selection and partnership management, hybrid modeling, manufacturing economics, continuous manufacturing, digitization, and Industry 4.0 in biopharma.
Top 10 life sciences podcast with 200+ episodes and guests from Merck, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Cytiva, KBI Biopharma, Eppendorf, and biotech innovators worldwide.
New episodes released weekly. Subscribe and join 400+ biotech leaders already using these insights to accelerate development, reduce manufacturing costs, and de-risk scale-up.
Next Steps:
Visit the Website: https://smartbiotechscientist.com
Email us: hello@bruehlmann-consulting.com
Smart Biotech Scientist | The CMC and Bioprocessing Podcast for Process Development and Manufacturing Leaders
242: DMSO in Cell Therapy: Why Viability Scores Hide the Real Toxicity with Steve Oh - Part 2
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What if the solution to cell therapy’s biggest cold-chain challenge comes from the biology of Arctic fish?
This conversation features Steve Oh, a leader in advanced bioprocessing, whose career has placed him at the intersection of stem cell biology, process engineering, and clinical translation. Steve Oh joins David Brühlmann to share how XT Thrive®—a next-generation cryopreservation solution drawing from nature’s antifreeze proteins—lets cells survive, thrive, and simplify manufacturing from the bench to the clinic.
Episode highlights:
- Biological insights from Arctic fish and their translation into synthetic peptide chemistry for cell preservation (00:23)
- The effect of ice crystal formation on cellular damage, and how XT Thrive® minimizes this compared to DMSO (05:32)
- Simplified logistics: reduced risk of contamination, elimination of post-thaw wash steps, and implications for therapy delivery to remote locations (07:23)
- Applicability beyond single cells—preserving organoids and potential implications for tissue engineering (09:50)
- The ease of transitioning from DMSO to the new solution in established lab protocols (10:49)
- Broader industry challenges: maintaining purity, process optimization, and reducing cost of goods in cell therapy manufacturing (12:03)
- Promising innovations in rapid cell type differentiation and barriers to scaling transformative biotech (12:50)
- The importance of supporting innovative therapies beyond short-term ROI (14:17)
Smart insight:
Next-generation cryopreservation solutions address more than just viability—they simplify transport, reduce costs, lower hands-on time, and help ensure therapy reaches patients in remote locations in optimal condition. As Steve Oh observes, these advances are critical for reducing the cost of goods, improving consistency, and enabling truly scalable cell therapy manufacturing.
If you’re interested in this topic, check out these episodes, where we explore how Minnesota’s frozen forests inspired a new wave of biotech innovation—transforming how life-saving cells are frozen, stored, and shipped.
- Episodes 161 - 162: How to Achieve 85%+ Cell Recovery Without DMSO's Toxic Side Effects with Jeffrey Allen
This is Steve’s second appearance on the podcast. You can also catch his earlier conversation with David, where they explored the challenges and opportunities of cell and gene therapy.
- Episodes 11 - 12: From Lab to Patient: Steve Oh’s Guide to Mastering Cell Therapy Process Development.
Connect with Steve Oh:
Email: skwohso@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steve-oh-4946261/