At a Glance
- Company: BlueRock Therapeutics
- Location: United States
- Deal value: Not disclosed
- Focus area: Automated analytics and quality control for cell therapies
- Next steps: Scale the system towards commercial volumes and adapt it for future products
What happened?
BlueRock Therapeutics has developed an automated system for high-throughput auditing of cell therapy products. The platform combines cell culture, liquid handling and processing while working with the small sample volumes typical of cell therapy manufacturing.
Why does it matter?
Cell therapy analytics often rely on complex assays, but existing automation systems were largely designed for small molecules or larger sample volumes. BlueRock’s approach could help fill this technology gap while reducing testing costs and speeding development.
Using smaller samples may also reduce reagent consumption, an important consideration for assays that are expensive and technically demanding.
Who’s behind it?
BlueRock Therapeutics developed the system through its analytical and quality-control team, working with Hamilton Robotics. The collaboration adapts existing analytical equipment for the specific requirements of cell therapy workflows.
How was it achieved?
The team customised readily available tools to handle cell culture and liquid transfer at smaller volumes. The system is intended to support high-throughput analytical auditing and eventually scale towards the volumes required for commercial manufacturing.
What’s next?
BlueRock plans to adapt the system for future therapies in its pipeline and use it to support faster market entry. The company is also encouraging wider industry collaboration to address other automation gaps in cell therapy development and manufacturing.