Dr. Carbonell Helps Land a New Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing

Professor Ruben Carbonell and faculty in the Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) and CBE, will play key roles in NIIMBL, the newly-funded National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals.

Traditional pharmaceutical production relies on chemistry to create medical treatments. Biopharmaceutical production relies on biology—living cells produce the treatments or their components—which requires a complex manufacturing process. Biomanufacturing is used to produce many widely-used treatments for a growing number of health conditions such as cancer, autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases—and generating billions of dollars in revenue worldwide.

The NIIMBL mission is “to accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce, fundamentally advancing U.S. competitiveness in this industry.” NIIMBL partners include over 25 university partners, and about 125 companies (small, medium and large) and other partners. Funding includes $70 million from NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and over $125 million from industry, universities, and state agencies.

Dr. Carbonell was one of three authors of the final proposal to NIST and has been appointed by his colleagues as the initial Chief Technology Officer for NIIMBL. During his “spare time,” he’ll continue to serve as director of both The William R. Kenan, Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science, and BTEC.

He’s the Frank Hawkins Kenan Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Carbonell is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the AIChE, and the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society. His awards at NC State include the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence, the highest award given to university faculty. He’s also the co-founder of three start-up companies, Pathogen Removal and Diagnostic Technologies (PRDT), Inc., Oryx Bio, and Green Clean, LLC.

Kudos to Dr. Carbonell for helping to bring this important Institute to NC State!