Award details

Bioprocessing Network: BioProNET

Reference	BB/L013770/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Christopher Smales
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Alan Dickson
Institution	University of Kent
Department	Sch of Biosciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	811,631
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/03/2014
End date	31/08/2019
Duration	66 months

Abstract

This application describes the formation of a new academic-led network (BioProNET) in the field of bioprocessing and biologics, that engages academics, industrialists and other special interest groups to accelerate innovation and deliver change in this area, ensuring that the UK academic research agenda is world-leading, industrially-relevant and recognised globally as a leading network in the sector and the go-to place for collaborative research. The proposed Network will thus establish an internationally-recognized, sustainable and integrated cross-disciplinary network able to address major research challenges in the area of bioprocessing and non-therapeutic (e.g. diagnostics, drug screening, crystallization/structural studies) biologics. The network will promote the emergence of new technologies, including synthetic biology, genomics and systems biology, into the community for more rapid, flexible, predictable and cost-efficient production of biologics. Areas already highlighted where the proposed network will have considerable impact include predictive bottom-up modelling of processes, new and high-throughput analytics and robotics, use of genomics, systems biology and synthetic biology in relation to existing and re-engineered pro- and eukaryotic expression systems, design of novel biological formats, generation of novel biologics for diagnostics, translation of knowledge from bioprocessing of biopharmaceuticals to inform the manufacture of non-biopharm biologics and decreased product heterogeneity. We will use Proof of Concept funding to develop cross-disciplinary collaborations that address these, and new challenges as they emerge, providing a pipeline of data and novel research ideas that lead to more competitive and integrated research proposals to the BBSRC and elsewhere. The network will facilitate the translation of the discoveries in the basic sciences into industrial bioprocesses that will have direct economic and social impacts for the UK.

Summary

Biologics are complex molecules made by cellular processes and such biological products have major economic and social value for the UK and globally. Biologics encompass a range of molecules of therapeutic (e.g. biopharmaceutical molecules such as insulin and antibodies like Herceptin) and non-therapeutic (e.g. diagnostics, industrial enzymes, drug screening, crystallization / structural studies) use. The UK has been especially innovative in developing processes for commercial scale production (bioprocessing) of therapeutic proteins (biopharmaceuticals) in particular, that have the potential to treat otherwise intractable diseases. The area also directly employs a large work force in the UK and has direct social and economic impacts on the UK. However, the continued development and commercialization of such biologics requires further step-changing innovation if the full potential return to the UK is to be realised. Bioprocessing presents an economic success story and sales of biopharmaceuticals are estimated to be >$320B by 2020. The economic value and ever-increasing importance of these molecules in healthcare adds significantly to healthcare costs and, in the case of biopharmaceuticals in particular, there is pressure to design, develop and manufacture biopharmaceuticals more efficiently, predictably, and affordably. This proposal sets out to develop a vibrant academic-led UK network (BioProNET) of expertise that will bring together academics, industrialists and other interested groups to integrate the expertise of practitioners working on production (bioprocessing) of biologics of therapeutic use as well as those of non-therapeutic use. The Network will focus on biological processes that underpin the development, engineering, manufacturing and monitoring of functionally active biologics to address production of molecules of greater design complexity. The vision and perspectives of multiple scientific disciplines, including life scientists, biochemical engineers,chemists, physicists, mathematicians, computational scientists, and social scientists will be applied to the research challenges of biological process in the manufacture of biologics, both products of therapeutic use (e.g. biopharmaceuticals) and those of non-therapeutic use (e.g. biosensors, drug development and screening, diagnostics). Within the network we will consider the social, environmental and economic implications of development of the area and whether the sustainability of manufacturing of biologics can be improved. The Network shall maintain the UK bioprocessing sector (by harnessing the breadth of knowledge held in the different communities that will be brought together to develop and extend beyond today's systems into those that will be needed to compete on the world stage over the next 25 years) at the international forefront, whilst establishing step-changing and innovative solutions for the production of the next generation of biologics. By enhancing cost effectiveness of bioprocessing, the sector will move towards more affordable biologics/biopharmaceuticals for sustainable and healthier lifestyles.

Impact Summary

The entire design of the Bioprocessing Network (BioProNET) is focused around the need to deliver an impact to the industrial use of biological processes. There have been truly amazing advances in our understanding of biological processes (cells and their molecular components), driven by basic inquisition and accompanying technological developments. As biologists have delved deeper into the detail of cellular processes, we can see that the technologies and approaches of physical, chemical and engineering sciences have the potential to enable step-changes in our understanding of biology. The move towards inter-disciplinarity has provided fresh insights into disease, its treatment and the molecular components that make life possible. Along with understanding at molecular level, the way in which components interact, and the prediction of action and consequence (systems biology), is moving the boundaries of how we, as a society, can use the knowledge of biology and the components of cells to make a difference to the health and wealth of the nation. With increased knowledge, and technologies of genomics and synthetic biology, we can harness biologics (molecules or cells with desired purpose and function) for many purposes, ranging from disease diagnosis or treatment to environmental remediation to food production. Who will Benefit? Whereas the above description highlights the intellectual challenge of scientific discovery, the development of research findings to societal benefits requires production at commercial scale (bioprocessing). The UK industrial sector has been very effective in commercialisation and development of basic findings to application and outcome. We are entering a new stage in bioprocessing and commercial use of biologics. Many of the "easy" biologic products have been developed and we are moving to those that are more difficult to produce, harvest and store. A successful industrial sector will prosper alongside an engaged multi-disciplinary academic community in which the technology development and blue-skies research of academia will enable and accelerate industrial production. BioProNET will develop the academic communities involved in research into production of varied biological products and bring these groups together to share best practice with the industrial sector. BioProNET will facilitate identification of strategically-important novel research directions, defined by the priorities of industry, and enable formation of academic and academic-industry research collaborations, by supporting research grant applications. This application is part of the wider BBSRC Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy call. As such, the remit is to generate a wide benefit to academic and industrial practitioners in the relevant area (bioprocessing). The importance of BioProNET can be judged from the number of industrial support letters from a wide range of large and small companies and the large number of academic, and industrialists who have signed up as members. In addition, the communication routes that we will take upon initiation of the network will attract further members from other disciplines. How will they benefit? By aiding companies, the activities of BioProNET will have wide economic and societal benefits, for example by enabling more efficient (and ultimately cheaper) production of therapeutic biologics (biopharmaceuticals) to treat otherwise intractable diseases. In addition, the engagement between academics and industry in the network will allow knowledge exchange and training and will enable recruitment of staff to industry. The BioProNET sees a major role to act as a representative forum to act as an advisory body to other bodies, to aid funding bodies to promote the importance of industrially-themed research and to share with the public the manner in which advances in the use of biological processes (funded by the UK research bodies) has direct relevance (and worth) to the wider public

Committee	Research Committee D (Molecules, cells and industrial biotechnology)
Research Topics	Industrial Biotechnology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Networks in Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy (NIBB) [2013]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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