From observational to actionable: rethinking omics in biologics production

As the era of omics continues to expand with increasing ubiquity and success in both academia and industry, omics-based experiments are becoming commonplace in industrial biotechnology, including efforts to develop novel solutions in bioprocess optimization and cell line development. Omic technologies provide particularly valuable 'observational' insights for discovery science, especially in academic research and industrial R&D; however, biomanufacturing requires a different paradigm to unlock 'actionable' insights from omics. Here, we argue the value of omic experiments in biotechnology can be maximized with deliberate selection of omic approaches and forethought about analysis techniques. We describe important considerations when designing and implementing omic-based experiments and discuss how systems biology analysis strategies can enhance efforts to obtain actionable insights in mammalian-based biologics production.