The "Swifty's" Guide To The Top 5 Cell & Gene Manufacturing Evolutions In 2021

By Anna Rose Welch, Editorial & Community Director, Advancing RNA

The Top 5 article is simultaneously one of the greatest joys and most excruciatingly difficult tasks I willingly inflict upon myself every year. It’s a challenge I take on annually, not only for your enjoyment and elucidation, dear reader, but because it’s also a good exercise for my brain. After all, it was Ferris Bueller who wisely said: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

The same can be said of the grandiose CGT manufacturing universe, which has — ongoing pandemic challenges aside — been chock full of celebrations, questions, uncertainties and countless news stories, press releases, articles, and events/webinars. If you need proof of just how top-of-mind CGT manufacturing challenges have been for the industry in 2021, look no farther than the Top 10 Cell & Gene newsletter my colleague Erin Harris sent out in early December.  

What I never anticipated when I started to write this article, however, is just how well my annual takeaways could also be summarized and/or complemented by the titles and lyrics of several of Taylor Swift’s biggest hits.

Yes, you read that right. So, in addition to providing my top 5 big picture CGT manufacturing takeaways from the past year (linked below), each article also offers you a theme song, of sorts, to add a touch of levity to the 2021 themes that will no doubt continue evolving in 2022.

In addition to wishing you and your manufacturing programs an efficient and productive year, it is also my greatest hope for those of you who don’t yet identify as a “Swiftie,” that 2022 will be the year you finally stop lying to yourselves.

Happy New Year — and happy manufacturing!

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22 ~ T. Swizzle

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