WALTHAM, Mass. — Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. on Monday announced the launch of two next-generation chemically defined media formulations designed to enhance and simplify plasmid DNA and recombinant protein production using Escherichia coli, expanding its Gibco Bacto CD portfolio.
The company introduced Gibco Bacto CD Supreme FPM Plus and Gibco Bacto CD Supreme Feed (2X), which are engineered to support higher productivity, consistent performance, and scalable manufacturing in microbial bioprocessing. The launch comes as demand for plasmid DNA continues to rise, driven by the growth of gene therapy and mRNA vaccine pipelines.
As biomanufacturers and contract development and manufacturing organizations face increasing pressure to improve yields while maintaining consistency at scale, Thermo Fisher said the new formulations are designed to simplify E. coli workflows and deliver predictable, high-quality results from early development through commercial production.
“The Gibco Bacto CD Supreme platform represents a major advancement in microbial bioprocessing technology,” said Sara Henneman, Vice President and General Manager of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Cell Culture and Cell Therapy business. “Unlike traditional E. coli media that rely on complex components, the new CD Supreme formulations use a chemically-defined design that removes raw material variability, enabling more predictable fermentation and simpler regulatory documentation. This launch reflects our commitment to empowering innovators developing plasmid DNA and recombinant protein therapies.”
According to the company, the Bacto CD Supreme FPM Plus medium features a hydrolysate-free, chemically defined composition that supports high-density E. coli cultures in both batch and fed-batch processes. It is designed to work across a wide range of strains, including Thi-1 mutants and auxotrophic variants, helping streamline process development while maintaining robust and reproducible growth performance.
When paired with Bacto CD Supreme Feed (2X), the system can extend culture performance and achieve up to 120 percent higher plasmid DNA production yields compared with terrific broth combined with other lab-prepared feeds. Thermo Fisher said the formulations help reduce process variability, regulatory complexity, and compliance risk by eliminating animal-derived components.
“Built on decades of Gibco media innovation and quality heritage, the Bacto CD Supreme platform extends our proven expertise in mammalian systems into microbial bioprocessing, giving biomanufacturers the same trusted performance they rely on from Gibco,” said Andy Campbell, Senior Director of Research and Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “These solutions reduce development complexity so teams can focus on delivering therapies to patients quickly.”
The company said the new formulations are optimized for commonly used E. coli strains, including DH10B, BL21(DE3), NEB Stable, Stbl2, Stbl3, and JM109, and are compatible with batch and fed-batch modes in both liquid and dry formats. The one-part, ready-to-use design is intended to reduce preparation time and handling errors, while supporting filtration or autoclave sterilization methods.
Early adopters of the platform have already reported positive results during prototype testing. Afrigen Biologics & Vaccines said, “By integrating CD Supreme FPM Plus and CD Feed into plasmid manufacturing workflows, we achieved unprecedented yield and consistency, underscoring its promise to transform upstream processing in biomanufacturing.”
