Bio3 Institute – Tours

Bio3 institute, in partnership with University of Tours

 

 

For eight years now, the Bio3 Institute, a learning platform serving the biotherapy-bioproduction sector, has been open in Tours, contributing to training in production jobs through a partnership between the University of Tours and the IMT Group.

Designed by the IMT Group and the University of Tours as a mini pharmaceutical bioproduction plant. Indeed, shared industrial and semi-industrial equipment is distributed over 2200 m2 on three levels.

Each year, more than 350 people undergo continuous or initial training thanks to the technical platforms of the Bio3 Institute. These have notably enabled young students to obtain diplomas ranging from bachelor’s to master’s levels, especially through apprenticeships. Since 2024, the IMT Group has been offering a new certification: the BTS Biotechnology, with a new curriculum focusing on bioproduction.

The training center hosts students from other universities (such as Rouen) and engineering schools (such as Polytech Orléans) for practical work. A summer school is also organized for Hungarian students. Digital innovation is also at the heart of Bio3’s activities with the creation of educational scenarios in mixed reality or the development of a new 8-module e-learning course dedicated to biomedicines (from cell factory to mRNA vaccine, including regulatory issues). These modules were created in 2023 with the support of the Ambition Recherche Développement program funded by the Centre-Val de Loire Region. They are available on the IMT Group’s website.

A resource and expertise center Beyond training, the Bio3 Institute is also a resource and expertise center that has supported, or even housed, around ten R&D projects in recent years.

In 2023, the Climbin project, labeled France 2030 and led by a consortium (Servier, Indatech, Ondalys, universities of Tours and Nancy), settled in the Bio3 laboratories. Climbin aims to develop an online analytical control solution for processes, meeting the need for optimization and automation of cell culture systems. In 2024, the platform will host the startup McSAF, specialized in bio-organic and bioconjugated chemistry.

To remain efficient, Bio3 invests every year in new equipment, with the support of the Centre-Val de Loire Region, equipment suppliers (Merck, Cytiva, BWT, Getinge…), and the Philippe-Maupas Foundation. This foundation, created by Grepic, the IMT Group, and the University of Tours, has just been extended for another five years.

Four bioproduction training programs in apprenticeship with the IMT Group Bac+2 BTS

BTS Bioanalyses and Controls

BTS Biotechnology

Bac+3 Bachelor

Bachelor in Pharmaceutical Bioprocess Engineering (formerly TSBI)

Bac+5 Engineer’s Degree

Biological Engineering – Bioproduction Option (5th year) in partnership with the engineering school ESITech (University of Rouen)

 

In summary, the Bio3 Institute consists of :

1 Upstream Cell Culture Zone (USP): Laminar flow hood, Incubator, Wave reactor, bench reactor, pilot-scale culture reactor, single-use technologies.

1 Downstream Purification Zone (DSP): Frontal filtration, Depth filtration, Tangential filtration, Centrifugation, Preparative chromatography.

1 Fill & Finish Zone: Storage, Preparation, Bottle filling, Lyophilization, Sterilization.

1 Control zone: an analytical laboratory (chromatography, spectrometry), a bioanalytical laboratory (cell counting, molecular biology, electrophoresis), a particle analysis laboratory (particle counting, rheology, microscopy), and a laboratory for microbiological analysis.

The pedagogy of Bio3 Institute combines biology and technology. It is based on professional situational scenarios (PSS) and Work Situation Evaluations (WSE) of the learner regardless of the level.

IMT Group’s methodology relies on small group mentoring (5 to 8 people) to efficiently learn the engineering of this bio-industry and the various stages of production and control of biomolecules.

Continuous Training The capacities and equipment of the Bio3 Institute in Tours allow biopharmaceutical and biocosmetic industries to meet their needs for continuous training thanks to:

the representativeness of biotechnology equipment,
their access under conditions identical to industry, but without production constraints,
the expertise of Bio3 Institute trainers.
Find the Bio3 Institute webinars on Youtube as well as the web series dedicated to viral vectors.

 

Main project partners Bio3 Institute Partners

Five-year extension of the Philippe-Maupas Foundation The 11 founding members of the new extension of the Philippe-Maupas Foundation, co-financer of the Bio3 Institute, are: ACM Pharma, Aptar, BWT, CCI Touraine, Chiesi, Grepic, IMT Group, Indatech, Mettler-Toledo, Polepharma, University of Tours. With the extension now validated by the State, other companies are joining this circle of partners.