Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) has announced that its Stack Family Center for Biopharmaceutical Education and Training (CBET) is partnering with Univercells Technologies, a Belgian-based company, to provide on-site access and training on cutting bioreactor technologies, the scale-X hydro and scale-X carbo fixed-bed bioreactors.  This partnership will provide expert process development and commercialization opportunities.  

Univercells Technologies designs and develops novel biomanufacturing technologies that overcome existing manufacturing bottlenecks by enabling flexible and scalable viral production. The scale-X fixed-bed bioreactor portfolio includes R&D to commercial scale footprints. The NevoLine Upstream platform Technologies allows customers to achieve cost-effective vaccine and gene therapy production in a closed, flexible unit, a particularly attractive feature in our current environment.

CBET is a centre of excellence for training and research solutions for the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry. This partnership with Univercells Technologies will extend its capabilities in the production of cell lines used in vaccine development and gene therapies. 

Univercells Technologies will provide the scale-X hydro and scale-X carbo fixed-bed bioreactor systems and lend its expertise to the team at CBET, as well as partner in the development of the related training material and course design. In turn, CBET will “train the trainer” on Univercells Technologies equipment in the United States and provide a beta site for clients wishing to pilot the technology.

ACPHS will invest nearly $9 million to renovate laboratory space for new Quality Assurance/Quality Control and cell and gene therapy labs. The project will also install and support the operation of the highly specialized biopharmaceutical laboratory equipment for contract research and workforce training.