Point-of-Use Media Manufacturing Could Cut Bioprocessing's Carbon Footprint by Two Thirds

Watch Part 1 of this interview on how the industry is shifting!

In Part 2 of a two-part interview at INTERPHEX 2026, Bryan Poltilove, strategic advisor and independent board director focused on bioprocessing and advanced therapy manufacturing, discusses Nucleus Biologics' Krakatoa technology and its potential to transform how cell culture media is produced and distributed.

Poltilove describes the core innovation as a point-of-use media manufacturing approach that stores dry powder components on site, requiring only the addition of water to produce media on demand. This model delivers what he characterizes as a compelling combination: the ease and flexibility of liquid media paired with the logistical and cost advantages of powder. The reduction in shipping requirements and on-site storage footprint, driven by the fundamental differences in volume and weight between powder and liquid formats, represents a significant operational shift for bioprocessing facilities.

From a sustainability standpoint, Poltilove points to figures suggesting roughly a two-thirds reduction in carbon footprint when comparing point-of-use distributed manufacturing of cell culture products to traditional centralized manufacturing models. He frames this within a broader concept of total environmental impact of ownership, encompassing everything from sourcing through production to disposal, a lens he sees increasingly reflected in industry best practices around green sustainability.

On the technology's current status, Poltilove notes that Krakatoa is only just launching commercially, though a prototype system has already been deployed across academic and industrial laboratories on multiple continents, demonstrating strong reproducibility, consistency, and reliability. He expresses confidence that scaling the technology to full bioprocessing environments will follow the same proven trajectory, with meaningful real-world impact expected in the coming months.