Manufacturing Green Nanoparticles for Efficient Cell Manufacture

Material-cell interface, which strongly depends on surface and materials properties, can augment cell growth and is extremely useful in enabling exquisite control of cellular manufacturing. We will address challenges related to the total efficiency of the cell production process starting with nature-inspired manufacture of bespoke green nanomaterials (GN), characterizing these nanoparticles, and evaluating how these materials affect the subsequent cell manufacture. As part of this call, we seek limited proof-of-concept funding 2 years.

In order to manufacture green nanomaterials for efficient cell manufacture, there are following challenges:
- Can we scale up green nanomaterial manufacture so as to be competitive?
- How can we control flow to control manufacturing?
- Can we showcase the application of green silicas for cell manufacture?
- What nanoscale properties make green silicas superior?
We will address these challenges from a unique perspective by collaborating across non-traditional disciplines involving nanomaterials chemistry, fluid dynamics, cell manufacturing and nanotechnology, and combining expertise from two EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing and two EPSRC Manufacturing Fellows.

We have shown that GN, which provide an environmentally friendly approach, are scalable and have promising biomedical applications, while establishing the importance of mixing in nanomaterials scale-up operations. We have also identified strategies to efficient and automated cell manufacturing and developed nano-probes to extensively investigate surfaces and interfaces at the nanoscale. In this project, we aim to build on this success and go significantly beyond to address a number of key challenges to deliver large scale manufacturing of green nanomaterials suitable for cellular manufacture.

There are at least three potential socio-economic impacts from this project:
1. a greener manufacturing of nanomaterials;

2. cheaper and controllable cell manufacture; and

3. development of novel nano-probe measurement tools.

1. The chemical industry, which is one of the leading sectors in terms of delivering high levels of social return on research investment, is potentially one of the beneficiaries of this project. The proposed research will have a major long-term socio-economic impact. The UK's upstream chemicals industry and downstream using sectors contributed a combined total of £258 billion in value-added (equivalent to 21% of UK GDP).

Owing to their unique environmentally friendly manufacturing, GN have the potential to help save energy costs and reduce the use/ production of toxic and hazardous chemicals when compared to existing silica manufacturing. The current industrial capacity for precipitated silica production is 2.4 million tonnes per annum, equating to $3.6 billion industry covering a wide range of applications in catalysis, separations, food and drug technology, biomedical materials and paints. Our calculations show that replacing existing silica manufacturing by the proposed green process will reduce the carbon footprint by 90+% (reduction in ~9 tonnes CO2 per tonne silica produced), thus strongly highlighting the sustainability and long-term impact of the process on chemical and process industry.

2. The area of regenerative medicine is one of the government's priority technology areas due to its potential to grow the UK economy and its promise of reducing the unsustainable economic burden of our aging population through the development of therapies that are curative and reduce long term (costly) morbidity. There are currently multiple products undergoing clinical trials and there is significant investment globally in cell therapies for regenerative medicine, with a particular push to develop the tools and technologies (e.g. in manufacturing) that will support these products when produced at scale. However, existing technologies are limited in both scalability and control. Outcomes of our research, notably the development of cheaper and greener nanomaterials for controlled cell manufacture, will directly have a significant impact on regenerative medicine industry. Our calculations show that our products will allow reducing cell manufacturing costs by at least an order of magnitude as well as enhancing quality.

3. The third potential impact of this research will be the development of novel nano-probe tools for cell-materials nanoscale characterisation which can lead to new products. By seeking to quantify surface charges at nanoscales in the proposal, we will potentially open up an entire new method to characterise nanoparticle toxicity. Metrology is crucial for all manufacturing, but it is even more crucial when toxicity is involved, and an understanding of how manufacturing methods affect this is novel, scientifically interesting and extraordinarily important for future nanoparticle manufacture. We will take nanoscale charge quantification techniques developed in the lab to commercial applications and products. Their impact and importance is highlighted by the direct involvement of a nano-probe company (Oxford Instruments) and its willingness to help commercialise the outcomes.