Dr. Carbonell Speaks on Exploring NIIMBL Opportunities

By Frances Ligler

On February 22, the FTE Program of the CMI hosted an evening with Dr. Ruben Carbonell, who is the new Chief Technology Officer for National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and a CMI-FTE member.  This national consortium is NIST funded at a level of approximately $70 million with matching funds of at “least $129 million from 150 companies, educational institutions, research centers, bodies, non-profits and Manufacturing Extension Partnerships across the country”  (https://news.ncsu.edu/2017/01/niimbl-2016/).  Of special interest to FTE is NIIMBL’s focus on the production of biomaterials, proteins and cells for immunotherapy or tissue engineering, with a view to understanding constraints for scale up, manufacturing and quality. The new Biotechnology Partnership Center on the College of Veterinary Medicine campus will have a GMP-facility for stem cell production that could be an important asset for CMI members who want to participate in NIIMBL research development activities.

Dr. Ruben Carbonell is also the Director of the NC State Kenan Institute, the Director of the Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), a Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.