As part of the “Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation” program by Innovate UK (IUK), the Project Nexus initiative has been launched. The project’s goal is to develop sustainable materials for additive manufacturing of single-use bioprocessing equipment, particularly for bioreactors. This collaboration brings together industry and academic partners, including Photocentric, Sartorius, Metamorphic, CPI, the University of Sheffield, and Imperial College London.
Single-use technologies (SUTs) have become indispensable in biopharmaceutical production. They offer advantages such as flexible process configurations and reduced operational costs but contribute to plastic waste. Although their share of global plastic waste is only about 0.002 percent, Project Nexus aims to further reduce the environmental impact. This will be achieved through newly developed bio-based resins that are thermally stable and can be autoclaved multiple times.
With £1.9 million in funding, the program supports research and development of new materials that enhance circularity and extend the lifespan of bioreactors.
Jeremy Pullin, Head of AM & Manufacturing Technology of Sartorius commented, “The goals at the heart of the Nexus project go beyond simply enabling us to unlock the applications of today. They also allow us to realize the future obligations of us all, through the development of sustainable material formulations. Sartorius is committed, excited and proud to work alongside an amazing consortium of partners to bring this vision to reality.”
Paul Holt, Founder and Managing Director of Photocentric commented, “Through harnessing the advanced capabilities of our latest 3D Printing innovation, JENI, we’re really excited to be part of this important partnership and the development of a new generation of cost effective, sustainable solutions for biopharma.”
Tony Jackson, Director of Formulation at CPI said, “We’re excited to contribute our expertise in material innovation to Project Nexus. By developing a high-performance, bio-based resin tailored for bioreactors, we are enabling a more sustainable future for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Our focus on circularity and end-of-life solutions ensures that this project not only advances technological capabilities but also drives meaningful progress towards net zero goals. We look forward to collaborating with our partners to redefine the role of additive manufacturing in the sector.”
The bioreactors produced in this project will be tested for pharmaceutical research and industrial biotechnology applications. In addition to evaluating their technical performance, the project will also assess the economic and environmental impact of this new manufacturing approach. Experts from Imperial College London and the University of Sheffield see digital design optimization as a key factor in advancing sustainable bioreactors.
Maria Papathanasiou and Cleo Kontoravdi at Imperial College London commented, “We are very excited for this opportunity to demonstrate the translational capabilities of digital design space for the advancement of sustainable biopharmaceutical manufacturing by design.”
Manolis Papastavrou, Director at Metamorphic commented, “We are excited to be working alongside leading experts from industry and academia to address one of the biggest challenges faced by the bioprocessing industry today. Nexus embodies our commitment to innovation; we will be pushing the boundaries of bioreactor performance and resource efficiency by leveraging the design freedom that Additive Manufacturing has to offer.”
Jose Casamayor Alarco, Technical Fellow at University of Sheffield AMRC said, “We’re excited to contribute the AMRC’s wealth of experience in sustainable design engineering to Project Nexus. This collaborative initiative will be a significant step in making the biopharmaceutical sector more sustainable, ultimately advancing the UK’s net zero ambitions.”
Project Nexus is set to be implemented over the next 24 months, with ongoing updates on its progress.
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