New £1.9m project set to develop new sustainable materials for application in bioprocessing

An industry-academia collaboration to advance sustainable bioprocessing through innovative materials for additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, has been announced by Innovate UK, as part of the Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D fund.

Single-use technologies offer numerous benefits, including faster setup and flexible process configurations, while significantly contributing to the reduction of resources like water, electricity, and caustic chemicals. Although their waste contributes only about 0.002% to global plastic waste, this project aims to further enhance the advantages of single-use technologies by introducing sustainable material formulations for additive manufacturing.

With £1.4m of funding contributed via the Innovate UK — Sustainable Medicines Manufacturing Innovation: Collaborative R&D programme, Project Nexus brings together extensive expertise across advanced manufacturing automation, digital design and optimisation, as well as material innovation and bioprocessing, to pioneer the future of additive manufacturing of bioreactors at scale. The project aspires to offer a greener alternative to single-use bioreactors with enhanced circularity and end-of-life pathways, all while retaining the flexibility of disposable systems.

By utilising advanced 3D printing technology and newly developed eco-friendly, bio-based resins to produce thermosets that can be autoclaved for reuse, Project Nexus aims to tackle current challenges and enhance sustainability through greater circularity — aligning with government targets for reducing waste and promoting sustainable manufacturing.

The bioreactors will be tested for pharmaceutical R&D and point-of-care manufacturing, with potential reuse in industrial biotechnology for green chemical production. In addition to this, the technical, economic, and environmental impact will be assessed, highlighting the benefits of additive manufacturing technology in reducing waste and enhancing efficiency through material circularity and system flexibility.

Tony Jackson, Director of Formulation at CPI, said:

“We’re excited to contribute our expertise in material innovation to Project Nexus. By developing a high-performance, bio-based resin tailored for bioreactors, we are enabling a more sustainable future for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Our focus on circularity and end-of-life solutions ensures that this project not only advances technological capabilities but also drives meaningful progress towards net zero goals. We look forward to collaborating with our partners to redefine the role of additive manufacturing in the sector.”

Jeremy Pullin, Head of Additive Manufacturing & Manufacturing Technology of Sartorius, said:

“The goals at the heart of the Nexus project go beyond simply enabling us to unlock the applications of today. They also allow us to realise the future obligations of us all, through the development of sustainable material formulations. Sartorius is committed, excited and proud to work alongside an amazing consortium of partners to bring this vision to reality.” 

Paul Holt, Founder and Managing Director of Photocentric, said:

“Through harnessing the advanced capabilities of our latest 3D Printing innovation, JENI, we’re really excited to be part of this important partnership and the development of a new generation of cost effective, sustainable solutions for biopharma.”

Maria Papathanasiou and Cleo Kontoravdi at Imperial College London said:

“We are very excited for this opportunity to demonstrate the translational capabilities of digital design space for the advancement of sustainable biopharmaceutical manufacturing by design.”

Jose Casamayor Alarco, Technical Fellow at University of Sheffield AMRC, said:

“We’re excited to contribute the AMRC’s wealth of experience in sustainable design engineering to Project Nexus. This collaborative initiative will be a significant step in making the biopharmaceutical sector more sustainable, ultimately advancing the UK’s net zero ambitions.”