Employment Opportunities

The Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing at the University of Iowa is excited to announce a search to hire a director-level Reliability and Maintenance leader. The successful hire will serve as a technical and managerial leader responsible for strategic planning, budget oversight, and contractor management. This hire will have an opportunity to manage the Center’s bioprocessing capital projects and infrastructure improvements for both GMP and non-GMP biomanufacturing.

Candidates from all sectors of biotechnology are encouraged to apply.

The Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing at the University of Iowa is seeking to add a Core Facility Research Assistant to its dedicated professional staff. As a member of this team, the new hire will help to manufacture protein products as a part of our contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) organization under cGMP and non-cGMP conditions.

Welcome to CBB

The Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing (CBB) is a microbial biomanufacturing and research facility that bridges the gap between laboratory discovery and commercial-scale bioprocessing solutions. Located at the University of Iowa, CBB offers microbial fermentation, recombinant protein expression, and downstream protein purification services for a wide variety of clients, including international corporations and early-stage start-up companies. For clients interested in clinical applications, a cGMP suite is available to manufacture of proteins under the quality standards defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for Phase 1 clinical trials.  

 

By combining the technical capabilities of a university-based pilot-scale CDMO with the expertise of affiliated faculty and researchers, the CBB serves as a trusted partner to biotech startups, vendors for the life science community, pharmaceutical companies, and academic innovators. Our facility supports innovation across multiple sectors, supporting the development and scale-up of protein-based therapeutics, specialty enzymes, reagent proteins, and other next-generation biologics. In addition, CBB plays a key role in bioprocessing workforce development through graduate training and NIH-funded biomanufacturing fellowships, thereby helping to shape the future of the biotech and life sciences industries.  

We Work with a Wide Range of Clients across the Biotech, Life Sciences, and Pharmaceutical Spaces

We welcome clients from diverse industry sectors, including biotech startups seeking scalable biomanufacturing, academic research laboratories advancing translational science, life science vendors supporting basic and applied research worldwide, as well as large multinational pharmaceutical manufacturers and government agencies involved in drug development and public health initiatives. Our services are accessible to clients regardless of geographic location, ensuring professional support for protein production, purification, and bioprocess development. 

How to Start a Service with CBB?

We’re here to support your project every step of the way. Getting started with the Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing (CBB) is simple. Clients can request services by completing our Client Request Form online. After submitting the form, a CBB representative will contact you within 2-3 business days to confirm your request and to schedule an initial consultation.  

 

During this initial consultation, your project requirements will be discussed in a non-confidential manner. CBB will then evaluate whether our facility can meet your specific needs. If so, a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) template will be provided for your consideration. In parallel, we will share a ballpark estimate of the costs for your project.  
 
Upon execution of the CDA, a more in-depth discussion will be used to provide a more accurate assessment of the costs for CBB’s bioprocessing services. Services can begin once a Master Service Agreement is in place and a Project Ordered is created specifically tailored toward your bioprocessing needs.  
 
Our team will be with you through every step to ensure a smooth and compliant bioprocessing experience.  

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.

"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."

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

News

Maria Spies, Ph.D.

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Tyler J. Woodward

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Hossein Zare

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Reza Nejadnik

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Meet Some of Our Associated Faculty

Office of VP for Research Events

Paleo Party: Travel Back 380 Million Years! promotional image

Paleo Party: Travel Back 380 Million Years!

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 5:00pm to 7:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Come meet "Dunky" and uncover Iowa's ancient past!
Write Winning Grant Proposals Seminar promotional image

Write Winning Grant Proposals Seminar

Thursday, October 15, 2026 8:30am to 4:30pm
Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)

Presenter: John D. Robertson, PhD
Managing Member & Owner: Grant Writers' Seminars & Workshops (GWSW)

The Research Development Office in the Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to partner with Dr. John Robertson from Grant Writer's Seminars & Workshops (GWSW) to conduct the Write Winning Grant Proposals Seminar.

Click here to view the seminar's webpage.

Event Information

The seminar will take place on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU...

College of Medicine Events

REDCap Data Handling

Thursday, October 15, 2026 10:00am to 11:00am
Virtual

This is the sixth and final step in the REDCap training series. In this training we won't use REDCap at all. Instead, we will cover ways to view and manage your exported REDCap data in Microsoft Excel and Sublime Text such as:

Populating data from one Excel sheet to another with vlookup()

Seeing specific data with column sorting and filtering

Ensuring data is cohesive by creating tables

Looking at how data relates to other data by creating pivot tables

Transforming unusable data to a usable format...

Degowin Blood Drive at Medical Center University

Thursday, October 15, 2026 10:00am to 3:00pm
General Hospital
The DeGowin Blood Center is hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday October 15th 2026 at the Fountain Lobby in the University Medical Center.

College of Pharmacy Events

College of Pharmacy Osterhaus Medal for Lifetime Achievement Symposium, Alumni Awards, and Professorship/Chair Celebration promotional image

College of Pharmacy Osterhaus Medal for Lifetime Achievement Symposium, Alumni Awards, and Professorship/Chair Celebration

Thursday, October 29, 2026 4:00pm
College of Pharmacy Building

On Oct. 29, we will celebrate recipients of the following UI Pharmacy awards and honors:

Osterhaus Medal for Lifetime Achievement Award:
Terry Dahl, '83 PhD

Distinguished Alumni Award:
Laura Borgelt, '95 BSPh, PharmD, MBA
Lisa Gersema, '84 BSPh, '86 PharmD
Youlin Lin, '72 PhD
Randy McDonough, '87 BSPh, '97 MS, '00 PharmD

Honorary Alumni Award:
Jean Eisenbart, BS, MS

Genesis Alumni Award:
Christian Fernandez, '10 PhD
Wes Pilkington, '11 PharmD

Professorship Reappointment:
Korey Kennelty, PharmD, MS, PhD
Patri...

College of Pharmacy Homecoming Alumni, Family, and Friends Celebration promotional image

College of Pharmacy Homecoming Alumni, Family, and Friends Celebration

Friday, October 30, 2026 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Graduate by Hilton

Calling all College of Pharmacy alumni, faculty/staff, and friends! Please join us for a family-friendly event following the Homecoming parade as we celebrate all UI College of Pharmacy alumni.

2026 Honorary Classes: 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021
(Pre-registered alumni of these classes will receive a college-branded gift!)

Food will be served, and a cash bar available. Fun activities for the kids!

Cost: $15/adult, $8/children 6 - 12 years, FREE/children 5 and...