University of Houston joins $10M biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation effort

The University of Houston has been selected to join a $10 million initiative by the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) aimed at fostering innovation in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Among the eight new technology and workforce development projects chosen for funding by NIIMBL is one led by Richard Willson, Huffington-Woestemeyer Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UH. Willson's project involves a novel mix-and-read antibody measurement system that employs fluorescent materials to quantify the amount of antibody present in a sample.

Antibodies, produced by immune cells to identify and neutralize foreign invaders such as pollen or bacteria, are vital to human health. Since scientists began producing antibodies in labs over two decades ago, their use in medical treatments has surged. Currently, approximately six of the top 10 selling drugs globally are antibodies.

Despite this success, scientists continue to refine manufacturing processes. "In the course of the manufacturing processes, it's important to know the concentration of antibody in your sample and this measurement needs to be made many times in a typical manufacturing process,” said Willson.

Willson previously developed a fluorescent material that emits one color of light when excited with another color. This reagent becomes more fluorescent in the presence of antibodies, allowing for accurate determination of antibody amounts in samples. Collaborating with industrial partners Genentech, Agilent and Bristol Myers Squibb, Willson believes this could be a valuable tool for those involved in all stages of antibody production.

Since its inception in 2017, NIIMBL has awarded 123 member-led technical, workforce development, and Global Health Fund projects with an approximate value of $111M. The University of Houston joined NIIMBL under Willson's guidance and this is its first grant from NIIMBL for technology development. The funding allocated for Willson’s project is $200,000.

Working alongside Willson are Katerina Kourentzi, research associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Houston; Yan Chen, Agilent; Midori Greenwood-Goodwin, Genentech/Roche; and Mathura Raman, Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Kourentzi highlighted the strong industry ties of this project. "One really distinguishing feature of this project is the tight coupling to industry,” she said. “We got a lot of guidance from our industrial partners who volunteer to work with us through NIIMBL.”