The life science group Sartorius and Canada's McMaster University have opened a new bioprocessing automation lab at the university’s Faculty of Engineering in Hamilton, Ontario.
The state-of-the-art, 1,600-square-foot research facility was created complementing a substantial contribution of advanced biomanufacturing equipment from Sartorius, a long-standing partner of the university. The lab will serve as a training and development hub, where McMaster students and Sartorius employees work with other industry partners to accelerate developments in bioprocess modelling, simulation and advanced control.
The funding for the new facility comes via stage two of the Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF) competition, the centerpiece of a $2.2 billion CAD national program developed to build a strong and resilient domestic biomanufacturing and life sciences sector. This makes it the first BRIF-funded facility to open in Canada.
“In the crucial biomanufacturing field, the opening of this lab will help Canadian researchers secure the competitive advantage they need to maintain the prosperity, health and security of our country,” said Dr Sylvain Charbonneau, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. “With public and private sector support, this cutting-edge facility will help prepare the new generation of innovators.”
Building on these contributions, a team of McMaster researchers has secured additional Alliance Grant funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to launch an extensive four-year collaboration with Sartorius.
The partnership started in 2019, when Sartorius joined the McMaster Advanced Control Consortium (MACC). In 2021, both partners teamed up to improve manufacturing processes of antibody and virus-based treatments for diseases such as COVID-19, cancers, and genetic disorders. Since then, the company has continuously provided valuable training opportunities for students at its research and development facilities in North America and Europe.
