About
The ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub will address key bioprocessing research challenges and develop new process and digital models that can predict and optimise manufacturing processes, resulting in greater yields, faster and more flexible processes and enhanced product stability.
The Hub is a 5-year collaborative program of significant scope and scale with contributions from all partners of more than $18M (cash and in kind). This includes $5M of funding awarded in 2021 by the Commonwealth Government through the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program.
Research
The ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub will undertake research which aims to transform Australia’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry by increasing digital innovation, productivity and competitiveness through the development of digitally integrated advanced manufacturing processes and a platform for industry adoption which will target rapid translation and up-take of sector-focused outputs.
A series of 10 projects led by a total of 11 chief investigators will be conducted across two research themes – Bioprocessing Research and Digital Processing Research.
Collaboration
A substantial team draws together expertise from The University of Melbourne, University of Technology Sydney and RMIT University, together with partner organisations CSL Innovation, Cytiva (Global Life Sciences Solutions Australia) and Patheon Biologics Australia. Three other organisations (Yokogawa Insilico Biotechnology, Mass Dynamics and Sartorius) and three leading international universities (University of Tartu, Estonia; Utrecht University, Netherlands; The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom) are also participants of the Hub.
The Team
The Hub will be led by Professor Sally Gras of the University of Melbourne. Professor Gras and her research group from the Department of Chemical Engineering are located at the Bio21 Institute in Parkville. Professor Uwe Aickelin of Computing and Information Systems also at the University of Melbourne is the Hub Deputy Director and will lead the digital research. Other CIs at the University of Melbourne include Prof Sandra Kentish, Prof Marcello La Rosa, Prof Michael Kirley, Assoc Prof Greg Martin, Assoc Prof Artem Polyvyanyy, Dr Abel Armas Cervantes and Dr Ling Luo.
Input from the University of Technology Sydney will be led by Professor Bogdan Gabrys from the Data Science Institute. Dr Celine Valery will lead the work undertaken by RMIT University within the School of STEM, Health and Biomedical Sciences.
