Bioprocessing uses a wide range of techniques in the development and manufacture of bioscience-based medicines, known commonly as biopharmaceuticals. Speed to market is a vital element of the modern pharmaceutical industry and there is an increasing need for research and development to further accelerate this process.
The development of bioprocessing technologies is pivotal to the future of modern medicine and increasingly the process is becoming inseparable from the product itself. This specialism can be characterised as global, fast paced and technology driven, where research-based innovation and the acquisition of relevant skill sets are crucial in driving speed, efficiency and innovation within the sector.
In response to these drivers, the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) in Biopharmaceutical Process Development at Newcastle University was launched. The programme is the first of its kind in the UK and aims to revolutionise biopharmaceutical and bioprocess design, using novel tools and techniques to more rapidly progress products through the development chain.
Students spend the first six months of the programme taking taught modules at Newcastle University. Following this the remaining three and a half years are spent working on industrial research projects and many are based out in industry with their company sponsor. During this time, students return to Newcastle to undertake further technical and professional skills training. In the second and third years of the programme students also have the option (depending on their area of research), of taking a number of technical modules that are available as part of the Engineering Doctorate programme at Birmingham University.
The Biopharmaceutical Bioprocessing Technology Centre (BBTC), which hosts this flagship programme, adopts an interdisciplinary research philosophy that brings together researchers and students from the traditionally distinct scientific disciplines of biology, statistical modelling, chemistry and engineering.
Research within the Centre provides students with the opportunity to undertake doctoral-level study within an industrial environment. In this way, students are equipped with a combination of the research skills and business acumen required to provide practical industry-focused solutions. In realising this endeavour, the Centre works closely with its business partners throughout the UK, including: ABB, Alcyomics, AstraZeneca, Britest, Centre for Process Innovation, Croda, Demuris, GEA, GlaxoSmithKline, Heineken, Lonza, Pall, Perceptive Engineering, Piramal, Procter and Gamble, Scottish Bioenergy and Unilever.
The EngD programme is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and offers up to 12 fully funded studentships. Each studentship covers tuition fees and a tax-free stipend of around £20,000 per year.