The key technology that the CBRM (Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine) will develop is the ability to manufacture highly reproducible, standardized, robustly engineered constructs and delivery packages at the necessary scale and/or complexity.
These capabilities have long been recognized as keys to biomedical industries but have not been realized up to this point due to barriers that we have often seen in moving from biomolecules or cells to final products, i.e., manufacturing safe and effective products for cell therapy and regenerative medicine or implants. The Center will focus on developing bio-foundry systems that allow for standardizing, modularizing, scaling-out, or scaling-up of biomedical and biological productions through additive or 3D manufacturing and nano- or micro-fabrication and Innovation of supply chain. The outcome of research and technological developments will lead to the establishment of new technologies to manufacture:
- Cell-based therapeutic and diagnostic agents:
robotic, on demand, reliable, consistent, automated cell manipulation including plug-and-play bioreactor design and fabrication, genome editing, vector modification, small molecular stimulation, proliferation and differentiation, and packaging for seamless and large-scale production under GMP conditions with real-time monitoring and control. - Tissue-based therapeutic agents and drug screening products:
reliable, modularized, robotic, automated and scaled-out production of tissues and organs through 3D printing, organoid self-assembly under GMP condition with real-time monitoring and controlling. - Innovation of supply chains:
cyber manufacturing, cell and tissue product preservation, transport, distribute and delivery. - Medical devices and implants:
patient-specific and personalized medical devices for point-of-care, on-demand fabrication of prosthetic devices such as implants.
The Center will be designed to integrate life science, medicine, nano- and microfabrication, 3D bioprinting, stem cell and regenerative medicine, and biomaterials science research into medical product manufacturing development. By bringing materials scientists, life scientists, chemists, process engineers, mechanical engineers, and biomedical engineers together in an integrative environment, the Center will create a path for scientists, engineers, and investors to work together from the technology development phase to eventual product commercialization.