The New Delhi based pharma major Ranbaxy Laboratories has announced a tie-up with biotechnology company Microbia to develop improved, higher-yielding biomanufacturing processes using precision engineering technology. The objective of the tie up is to apply precision engineering to produce pharmaceuticals with high efficiency and purity and to accelerate the process development cycle.

"We hope this will be the first in a series of product collaborations with Microbia focused on advancing our biomanufacturing operations with cutting-edge biotechnologies." said Pushpinder Bindra, senior vice-president, Ranbaxy.

Precision engineering is a comprehensive technology that targets the physiological control networks in fungi and bacteria to harness their metabolic potential. The technology is a systems-based approach to engineering the regulatory circuitry of microbial mini-factories used in industrial-scale production of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. Benefits of precision engineering include reduced process improvement cycle time and the ability to increase production without having to expand biomanufacturing facilities.