Engineering Medicine Manufacture Processes for Cell and Stem Cell Based Therapies - Ref: RTUF2018

Cell and Stem Cell based therapies are revolutionising medical treatment. Immunotherapies such as CAR-T cells are effectively treating previously terminal diseases and are poised to reach mass markets. However, many challenges remain to achieve cost effective and high-quality mass production.

This project will investigate the challenges involved in achieving consistent cell yields and cell quality in the manufacture of cell therapies. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work with processes for manufacturing diverse cell products such as red cells, platelets, immunotherapies or neural repair amongst others. A range of state of the art bioreactor systems at various scales will be used to determine the impact of the manufacturing environment on the cell product. Novel modelling approaches will be applied to quantify the relationship between operation of manufacture and key outcomes such as cell population distributions and cell proliferation.

In addition to the bioreactor technology the project will have access to a comprehensive analytical suite including high throughput multi-colour flow cytometry, high throughput nutrient and metabolite analysis, cytokine profiling and gene expression analysis. This project is positioned to make a real impact on industrialisation of cell therapies through delivering an understanding of manufacturing process control for a new class of paradigm shifting medicines.

Application deadline: 9th October 2018

Preferred start date: 1st April 2019

Entry requirements
Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a biological, engineering or bioengineering discipline.

A relevant Master’s degree and/or experience in one or more of the following will be an advantage: Cell culture and analytical techniques, bioprocess engineering, cell biology, biomanufacture.

How to apply
All applications should be made online. Under programme name select Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. Please quote reference number: RTUF2018