Take a Walk on the Lab side: a Virtual Field Trip to Amgen

Are you interested in seeing the inside of a lab but don’t know anyone who could get you inside one?  

Amgen’s Virtual Lab can give you a fascinating look into what goes on in a production laboratory.    

Update 5/5/2021 - I found another link to the Amgen tour:  https://www.youvisit.com/tour/amgen/117478

Process development:  cells from the cell bank are grown in flasks to start the process.

Process development

Seeding - is the process growing cells and transferring them to successively larger reactors.

Scaling up cell cultures

Production - at this point the cells are grown in the largest size of bioreactors.  The environment is carefully controlled so that cells produce as much protein as possible.

In the production phase, cells grown in large bioreactors and produce protein.

Purification - this part shows 20 thousand liter buffer tanks.  The buffer is used in protein purification.

Tanks with purification buffer

Harvest - this is where proteins are separated from the cells

In the harvest step, proteins are separated from the cells.

Purification - the protein is purified using liquid chromatography

Proteins are purified by liquid chromatography.

Quality testing - several tests are used to measure product quality

Tests are performed to measure quality

Filling & accumulation - the protein is formulated and filled into packages and added to materials that improve storage

Filling and formulation

Inspection - every batch of product is tested and inspected.

Inspecting vials

Assembly and labeling - product is filled inside vials and syringes

Assembly and labeling

Packaging - the vials of product are placed inside of packaging

Packaging

Distribution - packaged product is shipped to customers

Products are shipped worldwide