ABSTRACT
Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and more than one year after the approval of the first vaccine, bottlenecks in production and supply chain infrastructure continue to delay vaccination campaigns in the Global South. Mobile on Demand (MOD) vaccine manufacture may help quickly ramp up production capacity while bypassing infrastructure bottlenecks. Such decentralized small-scale factories can help tip the scales in the battle against COVID-19 and future pandemics. In this work, we designed two MOD vaccine manufacturing units based on a protein antigen expressed in yeast and in vitro transcription of mRNA. Each unit consists of three shipping containers and can produce on the order of 10,000 vaccine doses daily for competitive prices and in close proximity of their end users. Abandoning economies of scale may lead to a moderate increase in production costs that may be outweighed by reduced closed-vial dose wastage and an earlier protection of vulnerable populations. © 2022 American Chemical Society.
ABSTRACT
Changes have always been taking place on earth. However, the latest changes related to the climate, the COVID-19 pandemic, natural resources, pollution, to name a few, have changed our world and a new normal is emerging. The energy-water-environment-food-health nexus is becoming more complex. These challenges, however, also provide opportunities to tackle them and make scientific and engineering advances. PSE is well-placed through its core and expanding domain as well as its ability to apply a systems approach to meet current and future challenges. Many opportunities exist for the PSE community to take the lead in managing this complexity. This paper will provide an overview on some of the key challenges and opportunities where PSE could make immediate as well as long lasting impacts by developing sustainable and innovative solutions. Focus will be placed on the choice of problems to solve and the solution approaches that could make an impact and help to define the new normal for future generations. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.