BUILDING 504, a monumental brick structure once part of the famed “Manchester Mill Yard,” stands as a testament to the Industrial Revolution’s textile manufacturing hub in the US.
Today, this resurrected edifice houses BioFabUSA, an initiative by the well-funded startup, Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI). It serves as a pioneering fully automated research and prototyping medical technology facility dedicated to advancing regenerative medicine–an emerging branch of medical science focused on the study, development, and mass manufacturing of human cells, tissues, and organs.
This cutting-edge facility, along with the science it pioneers, is unparalleled globally.
ARMI, conceived by serial entrepreneur Dean Kamen in response to a 2016 challenge by the Obama administration’s Manufacturing USA program, aims to establish a low-cost, high-quality domestic health system. The goal is to position the US as a leader in biofabrication by creating a robust industrial base.
Kamen brought the idea to a bio-scientist, an IP lawyer and a bio-tech expert who in turn created the proposal that would bring ARMI to life. The three proposal’s authors–Tom Bollenbach, Maureen Toohey and Jim Scott would later become the Chief Technology Officer, the Deputy Executive Director and the Chief Operating Officer, respectively, of ARM.
As a private-public partnership, ARMI collaborates with various specialized member organizations. Remarkably, the primary sponsor for the idea of harvesting human cells, specifically for organ creation, is the US Department of National Defense (DND) through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
With an initial $80 million from DARPA in 2017 and subsequent funding, including $70 million under the Biden Administration, ARMI has flourished. The support enabled collaborations with top technologies and partners, including Rockwell Automation (ROK).
Blake Moret, ROK’s CEO, joined ARMI’s board, and Rockwell’s technology transformed BioFabUSA from analog to digital. The Rockwell Experience Center at ARMI’s headquarters showcases the latest industrial automation technologies, serving as a training facility for ARMI members.
The BioFabUSA facility integrates precise automation, ensuring a controlled environment for manufacturing cells, tissues, and organs. This eliminates the need for special suits, sterilization processes, and expensive climate control equipment. Future plans involve introducing more precise robots to enhance controlled environments.
Kamen emphasizes the potential of regenerative medicine, envisioning a future where replacing organs is as simple as acquiring ‘original equipment’ parts for a car. However, achieving volume, quality, and speed in regenerative medicine requires a shift to ‘at scale’ production.
The current process of harvesting human cells is slow and tedious, involving drawing cells from blood, marrow, or adipose tissue, growing them in nutrient-rich environments, and undergoing intricate filtration or centrifugation. Automation provided by Rockwell Automation positions BioFabUSA to produce regenerated human cell structures at scale, aiming to reduce costs and create fully functioning organs.
Rockwell Automation’s technology, familiar in manufacturing cars, airplane components, food, and pharmaceutical products, now contributes to advancing regenerative medicine. The provided technology includes PlantPAx, a distributed control system, Pharmasuite for manufacturing execution, and Vuforia Studio for augmented reality.
Future plans involve developing a 3D printing process for cells and tissues, creating a digital twin of a biomanufacturing plant for optimization, and enhancing the software platform to manage the supply chain for regenerative medicine.
In a side interview at Building 504, Kamen expressed confidence that ARMI and Rockwell Automation will bring regenerative medicine to fruition sooner than anticipated.
