1st Industry-Academia Network Experience

The first annual training event of STACCATO took place from 18 to 22 November 2019 at the Coordinator NIBRT’s facilities in Dublin, Ireland. The training included the first network-wide scientific modules such as “General cell culture techniques”, “Statistical analysis and bioprocesses modelling” and the first STACCATO BioPharma Focus Event on Recombinant Therapeutic Proteins.

Programme

Day 1 – 18 November 2019

The first day of the meeting included the annual network meeting where ESR present the progress of their individual research projects and project management issues are discussed. As the ESRs had only recently started their projects, the presentations focused on their backgrounds and on an introduction to their projects to the other ESRs.

  • ESR presentations
  • Management Support Team meeting
  • Secondment planning
  • Communication and Dissemination
  • BD resources
  • STACCATO 2020 event planning
  • ESR questions

Day 3 – 20 November 2020

The third day of the training event focused on establishing close ties between the ESRs, fostering team work and collaboration between them. The ESRs went on a tour of the Hill of Tara and the Newgrange heritage site. This excursion was entirely organised by the NIBRT ESRs.

Day 2 – 19 November 2019

The second training day included the first scientific training elements and a communication planning session.

  • STACCATO communication planning
  • Analytical strategies for biopharmaceutical characterisation
  • Mechanistic computational modelling for biopharmaceutical manufacturing
  • Biologics as drug products: Formulation, fill-finish and delivery
  • Library preparation for next generation sequencing

Day 4 &5  – 21 & 22 November 2019

The last two days of the meeting were dedicated to the STACCATO BioPharma Focus Event on Recombinant Therapeutic Proteins.

  • Lecture: Introduction to Biopharmaceutical processing & upstream processing overview
  • Tour of the NIBRT pilot plant
  • Practical: Cell culture practical
  • Stainless steel bioreactor set up
  • Lecture: Overview of downstream processing
  • Practical: Lab scale UF/DF
  • Practical: Chromatography column packing
  • Wrap up & feedback
  • Visit of Dublin Zoo