Digital design and fabrication of advanced biopurification materials

The global need for complex biological medicines such as cancer treatments and vaccines continues to grow. However the capability to manufacture high quality products at scale remains challenging with existing technology. Improvements to production capabilities and demand for products based on viral vectors and liposomes have resulted in exacerbated purification issues downstream, leading to performance and lifespan compromises of biomanufacturing unit operations such as filtration and chromatography. Solutions are required in order purify ever increasingly concentrated process streams in an efficient and cost-effective manner to meet growing demand for bio-therapeutics.
The research proposed here utilises cutting-edge 3D imaging, analysis and digital design approaches in order to produce novel bioseparation materials that have clear advantages over existing purification technology. Applying methodology established at UCL structures can be designed, fabricated through 3D printing, analysed and improved through a design cycle. Pall Biotech, a leading international bioprocess vendor and applications expert, will provide secondment opportunities that will enable access to industrial experts and industrially relevant materials for this research in order to perform commercially applicable case studies.

3D imaging, analysis and flow simulations have been pioneered at UCL for successfully improving designs and operability of commercially relevant technologies, for example batteries and fuel cells. This research vision proposes the development of a digital design cycle in order to produce novel biomanufacturing devices to be specifically tailored for valuable biologic products of interest through case studies, in particular vaccines (including adenovirus and mRNA based products) and antibody biotherapeutics.
The proposed approach uses high resolution imaging, analysis and simulation to understand the impact of structure on the separation material's performance. This knowledge will enable the design of new materials that will be precisely fabricated using 3D printing. This advance is possible due to recent improvements in the resolution achievable in 3D imaging and printing which now match the microscale pores fundamental to the behaviour of the separation media, making this research timely. The approach addresses limitations in existing biopseparation technology, that of structural heterogeneity and use of undefined components, to enable more efficient, cost-effective medicines manufacturing by enhancing purification performance.
Pall Biotech are a world leading international bioprocess vendor and applications expert, providing a great opportunity on secondment to receive training from Pall experts on device development. Additionally, using Pall bioprocess materials will result in 3D printed prototypes being directly optimised on industrially applicable products, interfacing academic research with industrial product translation. Pall will significantly benefit in hosting this secondment through involvement in an innovative approach for designing advanced materials that will augment their product development portfolio. This project delivers industrial innovation by: combing multiple disciplines, enabling technology transfer and demonstrating case study relevance.