b'Case Study ESTABLISHING A BIOFABRICATION CENTREAssisting the academic community to find the right industrial partnerIn 2018, the University of Nottingham identified additive biofabrication as a priority research area and established an Interdisciplinary Research Cluster (IRC) in Additive Biofabrication, led by Professors Ricky Wildman and Felicity Rose. The focus of the IRC was to stimulate discussion and pump priming activities amongst researchers at Nottingham, and with international collaborators. The project came about following a joint studentship funded by the EPSRC/MRC CDT in Regenerative Medicine.3D printed porous microparticles interacting with mammalian cells in culture.Additive biofabrication is the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies to create structures thatProfessor Wildman said,can direct the behaviour of biological systems. Being able to exercise control over biology offers routes toThe NBIC industrial network has been integral to the having real impact not only in basic research but alsosuccess of the KTN event and the BBSRC iCase award for further medical and environmental applications. Inwith GSK, providing us with an opportunity to explore addition, cell-based therapies are a growing market,collaborations with individuals who might have been and Wildman and Rose aim to produce structures thatoutside our reach without NBIC.can support and direct cell growth and provide theWildman and Rose are currently establishing a dedicated basis for functional clinical products in the future.3D bioprinting laboratory within the Nottingham Wildman and Rose asked NBIC to raise the profile ofBiodiscovery Institute and have secured funding from the their capability in additive biofabrication at NottinghamEPSRC to purchase state of the art 3D printing equipment through their industrial network. Through a partnerfor biological applications, which will be operational search, NBIC facilitated a connection to the Knowledgetowards the end of 2021. Although the centre was Transfer Network (KTN), which resulted in a jointoriginally conceived from the application of additive webinar in November 2020 focussed on informingmanufacturing to regenerative medicine, Wildman and industry about this technology. NBIC also introducedRose believe that this technology could provide tools Wildman and Rose to the Centre for In Vitro/In Vivoand solutions for a number of challenges. Significant Translation at GSK, and since then have been incommercial exploitation opportunities also exist through discussion about the application of 3D bioprinting tothe generation, robust protection and exploitation of the development of in vitro models; and have beenintellectual property and contract research with industry.successful in securing a BBSRC iCASE award (95k) to start in October 2021. Professor of BiomaterialsProfessor of Multiphase and Tissue EngineeringFlow and Engineering at the at the University ofUniversity of Nottingham.Nottingham, Head of theHis research develops Division of Regenerativescientific understanding Medicine and Cellularof additive manufacturing Therapies, and Deputyprocesses in order to exercise Director of the Nottinghamcontrol over function.Professor Felicity RoseBiodiscovery Institute (BDI). Professor Ricky Wildman 36'