The Growing Landscape of Biotherapeutics

The COVID-19 pandemic centered the field of biotherapeutics in the public’s mind like never before. For the length of the pandemic, the global news cycle was dominated by advancements in monoclonal antibody production and mRNA vaccine technology, the logistics of transporting delicate pharmaceuticals, and the urgency with which engineers and researchers across the discipline were approaching the development of new treatments. Although the public’s consciousness of the industry has faded with the pandemic’s passing, two aspects of the biotherapeutics industry became clear from its response: the field of biotechnology is remarkable for its ability to adapt, evolve, and grow, and that industry-wide collaboration and analysis is crucial.

In the past few decades, advances in biopharmaceutical technology have opened up new methods of drug development, testing, purification, and administration. Relatively new types of pharmaceuticals, like gene therapies and mRNA vaccines, have opened up new frontiers for innovation, while artificial intelligence and other digital tools help researchers synthesize vast amounts of data, make predictions about future experiments, and better target their efforts. The scope of the biopharmaceutical industry extends far beyond vaccines, and its ubiquitous impact on daily life remains just as present.

The articles featured in this special section demonstrate the wide variety of technology involved in translating biotherapeutics from the lab to the patient...