Optimising cell-based bioassays via integrated design of experiments (ixDoE) - A practical guide

For process optimisation Design of Experiments (DoE) has long been established as a more powerful strategy than a One Factor at a Time approach. Nevertheless, DoE is not widely used especially in the field of cell-based bioassay development although it is known that complex interactions often exist. We believe that biopharmaceutical manufacturers are reluctant to move beyond standard practices due to the perceived costs, efforts, and complexity. We therefore introduce the integrated DoE (ixDoE) approach to target a smarter use of DoEs in the bioassay setting, specifically in optimising resources and time. Where in a standard practice 3 to 4 separate DoEs would be performed, our ixDoE approach includes the necessary statistical inference from only a single experimental set. Hence, we advocate for an innovative, ixDoE approach accompanied by a suitable statistical analysis strategy and present this as a practical guide for a typical bioassay development from basic research to biopharmaceutical industry.