How Does Integrated Fluid Management Enable Flexible Bioproduction Across Modalities?

Jerry Keybl, senior vice president and general manager of fluid management at Avantor, discusses the growing importance of fluid handling in bioproduction in an interview with BioPharm International® as INTERPHEX 2026 draws to a close. INTERPHEX runs April 21–23 in New York City.

Drawing on executive leadership experience across multiple therapeutic modalities, including cell and gene therapies, Keybl highlights how fluid management underpins consistency and scalability in biomanufacturing processes.

Bioproduction systems, he explains, share similarities across modalities but also present distinct operational challenges. Fluid management remains a unifying requirement, as all processes depend on the controlled movement of materials through interconnected systems. Keybl compares this process path to human physiology, in which organs function as unit operations and blood vessels enable the flow of essential components. He emphasizes that efficient flow is fundamental to system performance.

However, unlike biological systems that grow naturally, biomanufacturing processes must be deliberately scaled. This distinction introduces complexity, particularly when early-stage decisions do not translate effectively to commercial-scale operations. Keybl notes that inconsistencies in fluid handling strategies during process development can lead to inefficiencies or failures later in scale-up.

How does fluid management influence bioproduction scale-up and consistency?

A key focus, according to Keybl, is maintaining consistency across scales. This approach includes understanding product-contact materials and ensuring compatibility across different stages of manufacturing.

“What that means [is] we need to make sure that we are using well characterized fluid paths, that we understand the materials going into the product, contacting layers of our products, all the way from early development into the end,” he explains.

Keybl also stresses the importance of flexible, integrated systems that can support both innovators and contract development and manufacturing organizations. Standardizing operator experience from benchtop systems to large-scale equipment may help reduce variability and improve efficiency. Ultimately, aligning fluid management strategies across development stages can support more reliable scale-up and operational performance in increasingly complex bioproduction environments, he says.

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About the speaker

Jerry Keybl, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Fluid Handling, Avantor

Keybl heads up Avantor’s Masterflex Fluid Management business, where he leads end-to-end strategy, operations, and execution across a portfolio serving life sciences, research, and industrial applications. Prior to this role, he served as senior vice president of Biopharma Products and Strategy at Avantor, where he oversaw the bioprocessing portfolio and drove alignment across product innovation, commercialization, and long-term growth initiatives. Keybl previously held leadership roles spanning product management, marketing, and strategy at MilliporeSigma, with a particular focus on cell and gene therapies. Earlier in his career, he was a project leader at Boston Consulting Group, advising clients on strategic and operational initiatives.