Fujifilm unveils microbial purification platform for downstream process optimization

Fujifilm Biotechnologies, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for biologics, vaccines, and advanced therapies, has introduced ShunzymeX, a precision purification technology designed to streamline downstream processing for complex microbial-expressed biologics.

Developed in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, ShunzymeX uses a proprietary protease to enable affinity tag–based purification with off-the-shelf affinity resins. After purification, the protease cleaves the tag without leaving residual amino acids on the native protein, the company said.

According to Fujifilm Biotechnologies, the platform addresses limitations in traditional microbial downstream purification, where variability in protein size and sequence can complicate resin selection and chromatography development. The company said ShunzymeX is intended to reduce development timelines, improve yield and purity, and support scalability directly to cGMP manufacturing.

The technology can be integrated with the company’s automated downstream platform, SymphonX, which is designed to run multiple downstream unit operations within a single system. Fujifilm said ShunzymeX is compatible with various expression systems and may help accelerate progression toward IND-enabling milestones. The technology will be presented at the Festival of Biologics conference in San Diego.

The announcement builds on the company's recent global manufacturing expansions. In the UK, Fujifilm recently opened its expanded 110,000-square-foot single-use biomanufacturing facility in Teesside, equipped with 2,000L and 5,000L bioreactors and integrated with its SymphonX downstream system. The site is expected to be operational in the first half of 2026 and is part of the company’s modular KojoX network designed to enable technology transfer across regions.

In Japan, the company completed construction of a large-scale bio CDMO facility at its Toyama Second Factory, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2027 and will serve as its Asian hub for antibody drug manufacturing.