NIBRT tackling bioprocess digitalization challenge with Limerick Uni

NIBRT and the University of Limerick (UL) have teamed with the objective of strengthening their position in bioprocess modelling and data analysis.

The role of professor in computational modelling and data analytics is key to the newly created partnership, as advertised by UL.

Once recruited, the specialist will hold a 40% joint appointment with the National Institute of Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) and will be expected to bring strong expertise to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, in particular on advanced therapeutics, including cell and gene therapies.

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The specialist will be involved in driving the strategic direction and academic mission of the chemistry department and will play a key role in the Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre (SSPC), dedicated to researching more sustainable, and efficient, methods for drug manufacturing.

“As the third largest exporter of pharmaceuticals globally, Ireland is a leading global hub for biopharma manufacturing research, in the development and production of innovative drugs,” said Damien Thompson, director of SSPC in UL.

“To further support data-driven development of sustainable patient centered medicines, the new position has been created in Computational Modelling and Data Analytics under an inter-institutional strategic partnership agreement between UL and NIBRT. The appointed Professor will focus on the development and application of advanced computational and data analytics methods to answer fundamental research questions that impact biopharma manufacturing.”

The department of chemistry of UL has a strong interest in research, demonstrated by the Bernal Institute, a 20,000 square-meter space dedicated to the synthesis, characterization, and design of nano-, meso-, and macro-structured materials, and by its other centers, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre (PMTC), the Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC), and SSPC.

NIBRT puts strong focus on the manufacturing industry, focusing on analytical science, cell and genetic engineering, informatics, and bioprocess engineering. The institution has been described as a ‘flight simulator for biomanufacturing,’ and has trained over 4,000 people a year in bioproduction processes since it opened in 2011.

The crown jewel of the organization is the pilot scale GMP simulated 8,000 square-meter facility built on its Dublin premises.