Colleagues from the Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM) and Pirbright have received training to strengthen CVIM’s capability to work in regulated manufacturing environments.
The cohort joined a specialist course provided by the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT). Much of Pirbright’s work takes place in high-containment facilities, where negative air pressure keeps pathogens safely inside.
The CVIM building operates in a different manner. Manufacturing vaccines to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards calls for a different approach. GMP cleanrooms typically operate under positive pressure to keep contaminants out and protect the product. It is underpinned by stringent quality systems, documentation and regulatory compliance.
To enhance expertise in this area, twelve staff from CVIM, Animal Services and EMS attended the NIBRT’s Biopharma Manufacturing Operations Regulations and Practices course in Dublin in September and October 2026.
The course explored the GMP regulations on biopharma that regulate medicines and vaccines from development through to manufacture. The modules included a mix of lectures and laboratory work simulating cleanroom conditions.
Reflecting on the course, Ana Corral, Head of Quality & Organisation at The Pirbright Institute, said:
“The course gave colleagues from different disciplines a shared understanding of a working GMP environment, what the regulations expect from us, and what working in a manufacturing setting feels like. Combining knowledge and expertise from quality assurance and quality control, R&D, manufacturing, animal work and engineering staff meant we all share the same language, which will make a real difference to how we work together to make CVIM successful.”
Highlighting the importance of regulatory knowledge in translating research into real-world solutions, Dr Kate Cotter, Director of Training Delivery at NIBRT, said:
“Robust, well-understood regulation is what allows new vaccines and medicines to reach people and animals who need them, safely. NIBRT tailored this course to CVIM’s needs through NIBRT training needs assessment, reciprocal site visits and ongoing communication between our teams, which are the key elements of a strong partnership. Combined with Pirbright’s world-leading expertise in infectious disease, this grounding in manufacturing regulation and practice puts its teams in an excellent position to turn scientific discoveries into vaccines that make a difference. We look forward to continuing our partnership.”
The collaboration was supported by Barry Shortt, Business Development Manager at NIBRT, who added:
“Moving from high-containment research to GMP manufacturing is a significant step, and the CVIM team approached it with real energy and curiosity. Partnerships like this show how shared training can help build manufacturing capability across borders. Ireland and the UK have a lot to gain from working closely on skills for vaccine and biopharma production, and NIBRT is glad to play its part in that.”
NIBRT (the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training), based in Dublin, is an internationally recognised centre for training and research in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Colleagues from NIBRT visited our site on 11 May 2026, which gave a further opportunity to identify synergies and potential areas of research collaboration.