McMaster and Sartorius build automation lab to make drug manufacturing cheaper

McMaster’s lab integrates industry‑grade equipment and software with academic research to optimize continuous bioprocessing. Using 2‑litre bioreactors holding about 100 billion engineered cells, the team captures large process datasets to refine control algorithms and automation. Five production runs have been completed; the longest, 38 days, produced roughly 100 g of monoclonal antibody, equivalent to ~2,500 patient doses (estimated $2 million). The facility operates as a safe experimental sandbox to prototype technologies that could reduce the footprint and expense of pharmaceutical manufacturing.