Bioprocessing Services

Fermentation, protein purification, & cGMP production for Phase-1 clinical trials

Academic Opportunities

Predoctoral Iowa Biotech Fellowship, CBB & NIH fellowships available

Annual Conference

The CBB hosts an annual conference focusing on innovations in the biocatalytic sciences.

CBB Operator Working in the Lab

30 +

Years of Manufacturing Experience

CBB Operator Working in the Lab

265 +

Fellowships Awarded to Students

CBB Operator Working in the Lab

55 +

Associated UI Faculty

Microbial Manufacturing Services

As a microbial manufacturing & bioprocessing facility, our diverse team at the CBB specializes in cGMP and non-cGMP production of protein products for various business, commercial, and research purposes. We have years of experience in developing bioprocesses for scaling up fermentation & protein purification (including difficult to purified inclusion bodies), cGMP manufacturing, cell banking, instrumentation, and more. 

All critical equipment within the facility passed Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Installation Qualification (IQ), and Operational Qualification (OQ). This facility is open for audit by clients. 

With many successful campaigns over the years, the CBB has become a trusted partner for our local & international clients alike.

Request Services Now!

We have worked with clients ranging from large pharmaceutical companies to biotech startups of all sizes to virtual companies, academic research labs, and governmental agencies. Our facility produces protein-based products for all sorts of purposes, including Phase-1 clinical trials. The quality of all manufactured products are ensured by our dedicated QA/QC team. 

CBB Operator Working in the Lab

Non-cGMP Facility

Our non-cGMP Facility is fully equipped with advanced technologies & instruments to provide both upstream & downstream process development services to our clients, from strain development to large scale manufacturing. All projects are carried out by full-time staff with years of experience in research & process development. 

CBB Operator Working in the Lab

cGMP Facility

The cGMP Manufacturing Facility at CBB is capable of producing protein products for Phase-1 clinical trials. This cGMP Manufacturing Facility and the Non-cGMP Facility share similar equipment, allowing for efficient process transfer between the two facilities. Our facility strictly follows the 2008 FDA guidance for cGMP manufacturing of materials for Phase-1 investigational drugs. 

"I worked for CBB since they first started with fermentation in their present location! I had previous experiences running 2000 liter fermenters at Solvay Animal Health. I really enjoyed watching the fermenters being delivered and set up. I worked closely with B. Braun company getting them up and running. The team came together over the next couple years. They have all become very experienced operators in the upstream and downstream processing! Everyone works well together and produces high quality product! I have since retired and miss my coworkers."

Educational & Training Opportunities

Every year, the CBB awards multiple fellowships to predoctoral student applicants to support their graduate research in the biocatalytic sciences (see definition). In addition to our own CBB fellowship program, the CBB also administers NIH fellowships. 

Both NIH and CBB fellowships are designed to promote training focusing on the applications of biological & physical sciences to conduct interdisciplinary research in all domains of biotechnology. 

Learn More About Our Fellowships

Most of our fellows have successfully entered the biotech job market right after graduation because they not only graduated with multiple journal publications, but also with industrial internship experience. 

Supportive Faculty Trainers

Our fellows are students working in a CBB-associated faculty's laboratory at The University of Iowa. Faculty help students obtain internships, build their work portfolios, and prepare job application materials. 

Predoctoral graduate students are encouraged to discuss with their major advisors as soon as possible regarding the application process. Students in their 1st and 2nd year are given priority.

Supporting Fellows Beyond Graduation

Once a CBB fellow, always a CBB fellow-From academic to personal to professional development, the CBB & our committed faculty provide continuous guidance & mentorship to our fellows even after their graduation.

 

"Center of Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing was very generous to award to me a 2-year Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in biotechnology for my PhD at UIOWA. Furthermore, I had a great opportunity of visit CBB facility and learn about protein purification services for Phase 1 clinical trial and downstream purification and bioprocessing."

Meet Some of Our Associated Faculty

Office of VP for Research Events

IRB/HSO Office Hours Summer 2025

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Virtual
First come, first served.; computers are available. HSO Staff will be available to:Answer questions about conducting human subjects research.Provide guidance and answer questions about the electronic application forms in the HawkIRB system.Provide suggestions and guidance about study procedures that are in compliance with federal regulations and the UI IRB policies.Provide guidance and answer questions about the submission of industry-initiated and industry-sponsored research projects to an...

REDCap Basic Training

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 10:00am to 11:00am
Virtual
This is the first step in the REDCap training series. In this training, we will build a new REDCap project from scratch and cover basic features such as: • Building forms with proper field types and validation • Assigning user permissions • Project backup and overview with data dictionary, codebook, pdf, and xml • Ensuring your project works properly by testing with real world application • Making mid-study modifications safely after having started data collection in production • Creating...

College of Medicine Events

Molecular Medicine Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Nathan Witmer promotional image

Molecular Medicine Interdisciplinary Program Thesis Defense Seminar: Nathan Witmer

Monday, June 30, 2025 10:00am
Medical Laboratories
Nathan Witmer is a PhD candidate in the Biomedical Science (Molecular Medicine) Interdisciplinary Graduate Program. His research has been conducted in Ryan Boudreau's laboratory.If you are not able to attend in person, please consider showing your support by attending via Zoom. https://uiowa.zoom.us/j/95883392288
Topics in Human Genetics promotional image

Topics in Human Genetics

Monday, June 30, 2025 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building
The course is open to individuals wishing to learn more about current topics in Human Genetics who meet the following criteria; individuals must have completed a course in genetics and are currently in a genetics lab, or have past genetics research experience. Genetics educators are also welcome to attend the course.The objective of the course is to provide persons familiar with genetics a broad overview of gene identification, molecular genetics, complex disease, next generation sequencing...

College of Pharmacy Events

Summer Health Professions Education Program:  Pharmacy Track promotional image

Summer Health Professions Education Program: Pharmacy Track

Wednesday, July 2, 2025 12:30pm to 4:30pm
College of Pharmacy Building
The College of Pharmacy will educate undergraduate students through the pharmacy track of the UI The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), on Wednesdays, June 11 – July 16. This free, six-week summer enrichment program is focused on improving access to information and resources for undergraduate students interested in health professions.Pharmacy-track students are hearing about pharmacy career paths and the academic experiences that led professionals to their chosen career...
Summer Health Professions Education Program:  Pharmacy Track promotional image

Summer Health Professions Education Program: Pharmacy Track

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 12:30pm to 4:30pm
College of Pharmacy Building
The College of Pharmacy will educate undergraduate students through the pharmacy track of the UI The Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), on Wednesdays, June 11 – July 16. This free, six-week summer enrichment program is focused on improving access to information and resources for undergraduate students interested in health professions.Pharmacy-track students are hearing about pharmacy career paths and the academic experiences that led professionals to their chosen career...