The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) is a hub for bioprocessing manufacturing research, education and training in Ireland and internationally, with a mission to help the growth and development of the biopharma manufacturing industry by providing cutting edge training and research solutions.
Partners since its inception, UCD's President Professor Orla Feely sits on NIBRT's board of directors, while Professors from UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering are among its Leadership Team, Principal Investigators (e.g. Professor Niall Barron, see video), Science Advisory Board and NIBRT Research Team.
The unique set-up of NIBRT, similar to its academic partner, enables their collaborating researchers to pursue national and international funding for research and innovation. In June 2023, Professor Steven Ferguson, UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering and NIBRT Research Team, and Professor Elizabeth Topp, NIBRT CSO and Full Visiting Professor at the UCD school, were awarded a €1.25 million Science Foundation Ireland 'Frontiers for the Future' grant for the development of stable chemically modified mRNA vaccines.
Professor Topp commented: “I am honored and very grateful that we have been awarded this funding. Together with Co-Investigator Steven Ferguson, our research group, and our collaborators, the funding will enable us to continue our work on stable chemically modified mRNA vaccines. This project will focus on formulation, stability and process engineering in biopharma with the goal of improving and extending shelf life, securing efficacy, safety and simplifying storage conditions. We hope that the advances we make will make a significant difference in mitigating health threats such as the recent past during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Professor Ferguson said: "We are excited at NIBRT to receive funding from Science Foundation Ireland Frontiers of the Futures Programme, with this support the team will pursue ambitious goals to develop novel mRNA drugs with improved stability using new manufacturing methods that have the potential to provide both unprecedented level of control over product attributes, with a step change in the speed and scalability of supply afforded by this rapidly evolving therapeutic modality."
Building Transatlantic Partnership
Through its relationship with UCD, NIBRT occupies a pillar position in the recently signed transatlantic partnership with Northeastern University, Boston, which connects researchers in all three institutions in pursuit of compelling opportunities in the Biologics and Advanced Manufacturing space with the wider research and innovation ecosystem in North America and Europe.
Director of Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and of Bioinnovation at NU, and Director of NU's Biopharmaceutical Analysis Training Laboratory (BATL), Professor Jared Auclair is an Adjunct Professor of NIBRT and co-lead of the partnership's Biologics and Advanced Manufacturing strand with UCD and NIBRT Professor, Steven Ferguson, and says biomanufacturing will be a key sector in the future of healthcare.
"Biomanufacturing is a key aspect of the future of healthcare. This was evident over the last few years with the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to develop and commercialise the COVID-19 vaccines. There are opportunities to drive towards continued manufacturing strategies that include interactions across robotics, advanced manufacturing, and other areas. In addition to innovations in the processes of making biological drugs, e.g. flexibility, automation, integration, there is an opportunity to also innovate to make a more environmentally friendly process, for instance, use less water, reduce energy, and develop new materials to replace plastic waste.
"Over the last 100 years, healthcare has rapidly changed and evolved. One hundred years ago when my grandparents were children, healthcare was completely different. The technologies we are so used to in hospitals and clinics were non-existent, coordinated data was available and much of our decision-making was based on the physician’s experience and gut. As a matter of fact, the “Wiley Act” in the United States (Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906) gave the USDA Bureau of Chemistry regulatory jurisdiction over our medicines, and the FDA as we know it was instituted in 1927 as the Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration, shortening its name in 1930 to the Food and Drug Administration.
"So, where does healthcare go over the next 100 years? It becomes the integration of new technologies, data management systems, and integration of innovations across the entire bioeconomy. A diversity of expertise and partnerships will be necessary to drive advances in healthcare, and the partnership between and complementary expertise of UCD, NIBRT and NU will be a leader in defining and developing the healthcare of the future."
Developing Cell and Gene Therapy Research and Training
In May 2023, NIBRT announced the expansion of its Blackrock, Dublin facility for a new training, research and innovation centre for the manufacture of Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) medicines.
The commercial value of Cell and Gene Therapies (CGTs) is forecasted to grow exponentially over coming years to a very substantial $10 billion-30 billion for 2025 with a with CAGR of 105% between 2019-2025. As new pathways for disease treatment and cure command growing attention and investment, the total number of next generation biologics (the majority of which are CGTs) in the development pipeline reached 269 by the end of 2018, up from 120 in 2015.
Ireland has established a hard won reputation as a centre of excellence in biopharma manufacturing mainly focused on monoclonal antibodies. However, the new wave of biopharma investments will include next generation biologics (mainly CGTs) which represent complex challenges to manufacture economically. NIBRT and its partners established a CGT Forum in December 2018 to address these challenges, publishing a White Paper in May 2019, announced several CGT research collaborations and commenced CGT training activity in Q4 2019.
To further facilitate CGT training and research, NIBRT has appointed PM Group to develop a design to expand NIBRT’s existing facility in Dublin, Ireland. With this expansion NIBRT will be able to support the workforce development and research expertise that underpins global CGT manufacturing investments.
Announcing the appointment of PM Group NIBRT CEO, Dominic Carolan said: “We are delighted to partner with the PM Group, who are renowned leading experts in the provision of facilities for CGT manufacturing. This design will position NIBRT to train our industry and educational clients in the current and emergent CGT manufacturing technologies as well as continuing expansion of our CGT research activities."