Explore the NIBRT Research and Training Facility
Special Recognition Award winner in the 2012 Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) program
The FOYA program is the pharmaceutical industry’s premier awards program dedicated to celebrating innovation and accomplishments in facility design, construction, and operation. NIBRT have been awarded a Special Recongition Award for Novel Collaboration.
"Advancements in pharmaceutical manufacturing sometimes come through innovative collaborations that can ultimately lead to “game changing” outcomes....The Facility of the Year Awards Judging Panel was impressed with the realization of a novel idea through innovative collaborations that resulted in Ireland now having a competitive advantage in developing biopharma investment."
FOYA Judging Panel
The NIBRT facility is a purpose-built, multi-functional building which replicates the most modern industrial bioprocessing facility. The total building area is approximately 6,500 m² over two floors.
At the heart of the NIBRT building is the bioprocessing pilot plant, consisting of extensive upstream, downstream, fill-finish and the associated analytical facilities. These facilities are all operated in a realistic GMP simulated, operational manufacturing environment.
The facility also provides extensive research laboratory areas with ample capacity for our research teams and for our client companies. Our training rooms can accommodate up to 100 delegates and we have extensive canteen and car parking facilities. The facility is adjacent to top class hotel accommodation.
Explore our facility by clicking on the interactive map below.
Upper Level
Ground Level
Downstream Processing Labs
The Downstream laboratory is approximately 170 m² in area and comprises a single large general fully serviced laboratory space. It also contains a 20 m² "walk-in" cold room, with dual refrigeration units and alarms.
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Molecular Biology Lab.
The Molecular Biology lab has a total area of approx 165 m² and accommodates two fully equipped cell culture rooms and a well-specified general laboratory area. The laboratories are complete with all required laboratory services, including extensive bench space water, ultra-pure water, electrical power and gases.
Utilities
The ground floor utilities plant room houses the building's core utilities, namely plant steam, compressed air, effluent treatment, bio-waste deactivation, low pressure hot water for space heating and hot/cold water services. The plant steam boiler is manufactured by Cochran, is natural gas-fired and develops approx. 650-700 kg/hour of steam at 8 barg.
Training Rooms
There are two dedicated Training Rooms, located directly off the Atrium and convenient to the cafeteria. Each is configured for an interactive class of 16-20 people, however they can each accommodate up to 40 persons seated in theatre style.
The rooms are separated by a removable sound-proof movable partition so that the combined rooms can seat up to 100 people.
Café
Located off the Atrium, there are two cafeteria areas. The larger area is suitable for event catering and accommodates 40-60 people. There is also a smaller, more intimate, cafe/break room for long stay visitors and clients.
Glycobiology Labs
The purpose built Glycobiology Research Laboratory is fully equipped to perform academic and industry focused glycobiology research and to develop cutting edge glycan analysis technologies.
Future Labs
The "Future Labs" area, and other areas throughout the building, offer a total of 450 m² of semi-finished space which can be developed and fitted out to any required specification of building fabric and plant services to suit any client.
Shared Services
The shared services area forms the core of the ground floor space, and accommodates an equipment preparation area with a components washing machine, a "decontamination" autoclave for deactivating bagged bio-waste, and a large sterilizing autoclave. It also house a large freezer room, servicing up to 18 -20/-80 degree Celsius freezers with mains power and generator/UPS back-up for supply reliability.
Atrium
The Atrium joins the "administration/classroom" area with the "laboratory/process" area of the facility.
Notable features are the floor of polished natural concrete, a glass roof with computer-controlled natural ventilation and under floor heating to create a open and engaging public space.
Downstream Pilot Plant
The downstream facility is modelled on a modern biopharmaceutical plant and is operated under GMP conditions. This allows trainees the opportunity to gain first hand experience of working in an industrial bioprocessing environment under strict conditions.
Upstream Pilot Plant
The upstream facility is based on a modern biopharmaceutical production plant and is operated under GMP conditions. It has been designed to the highest industrial standards and specifications to support competency based training programmes.
Process Utilities
The clean steam boiler provides clean steam (or "pure" steam) to the process areas for autoclaves and "Steam in Place" users. It is heated by plant steam and develops about 250 kg/hour of clean steam. This system is highly specified and capable of validation to GMP standards; the steam quality has been fully tested and complies with EP/USP specifications.
The process room also contains a Purified Water (PUW) skid, and a Clean-in-Place skid which service the pilot plant at various user points which are controlled by the Utility Panel Control System (UPCS).
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Meeting Rooms
Two meeting rooms, each seating 14-16 people in boardroom configuration. All the meeting rooms have large 46” flat-screen LCD displays for presentations.
Administration
The administration area accommodates private and open-plan office areas.
Training Labs
NIBRT has extensive bioanalytics laboratories and equipment which are operated under GLP conditions.
We also guide our trainees how to interact with and evaluate data from contract test laboratories that are sometimes used for specialized analysis.
Fill-Finish Suite
The NIBRT Fill-Finish facility is designed to mimic operations in an aseptic vial filling suite. The suite comprises a simulated grade C/B clean room with material airlock, two-stage personnel gowning airlocks, media preparation area and filling room.
The filling room is equipped with a Watson-Marlow Flexicon pilot-scale filling machine under RAB.
Shared Services
The shared services area forms the core of the ground floor space, and accommodates an equipment preparation area with a components washing machine, a "decontamination" autoclave for deactivating bagged bio-waste, and a large sterilizing autoclave. It also house a large freezer room, servicing up to 18 -20/-80 degree Celsius freezers with mains power and generator/UPS back-up for supply reliability.