Sartorius and McMaster University have opened a new bioprocessing automation lab at the university’s Faculty of Engineering in Hamilton, Ontario.

The 1,600-square-foot research facility will serve as a training and development hub, where McMaster students and Sartorius employees will work with other industry partners to accelerate developments in bioprocess modeling, simulation and advanced control.

“The opening of the Sartorius Bioprocess Automation Lab marks a milestone in McMaster’s commitment to advancing biomanufacturing capabilities in Canada,” said Dr. Heather Sheardown, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University. “This generous contribution will support technological innovations in large-scale biotherapeutics manufacturing that enhance production efficiency and ultimately expand access to life-saving treatments for chronic illnesses such as autoimmune disorders and cancers.”

Prof. Dr. Oscar-Werner Reif, Chief Technology Officer of Sartorius, added, “This partnership enables McMaster University and Sartorius to explore and industrialize innovative bioprocessing solutions together with partners from the biopharmaceutical industry. In this state-of-the-art facility young researchers from academia and the industry will jointly develop innovative modeling and predictive control solutions that help to simplify and accelerate biomanufacturing processes – ultimately driving faster developments of improved therapies that will be accessible to patients around the world.”

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 ($1.5 billion) 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.

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.