On February 21, 2018, Jefferson announced a partnership with the internationally recognized National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) to create the Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing (JIB), the first - and only - education and training institute for biopharmaceutical processing in North America that combines commercial single-use processing equipment with the internationally recognized NIBRT curriculum. While more than 40 percent of therapeutics currently in research and development are biopharmaceuticals, there exist only a handful of places throughout the world dedicated to training people to produce these potentially life-saving drugs, a gap that the JIB intends to close.

The JIB is expected to serve 2,500 people annually through workforce training and bioprocessing certifications, in addition to enrolling 70 additional Jefferson students in bioprocessing, engineering and other related majors.

What is the Institute?

• The Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing (JIB) is a specialized training and education institute for single-use-reactor bioprocessing technology used in modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
• The focus of the JIB is hands-on training of industry professionals through workshops and certificates and hands-on education of new bioprocessing engineers at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• JIB is partnering with the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) in Dublin, Ireland.
• JIB training courses will use the internationally recognized NIBRT curriculum and will be certified by NIBRT.

Note that NIBRT will certify the JIB curriculum but is not an authorized accrediting or degree granting body. All JIB degree programs and certificates will be granted by Jefferson and will accredited through Jefferson by the appropriate accreditation bodies, when applicable.

Why JIB?

• The pharmaceutical R&D pipeline is becoming increasingly focused on the development of biologics and biosimilars.
• Over 40 percent of all therapeutics currently in the R&D stage are biopharmaceuticals, representing a major shift towards biopharmaceutical manufacturing in the future.
• The largest supply chain risk in the industry, as identified by pharmaceutical manufacturers, is a shortage of properly trained bioprocessing engineers and technicians in biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

The JIB Will...

• Leverage partnerships with industry, academia, and government agencies to provide an industry-facing, global dimension to transdisciplinary, hands-on learning in the growing biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
• Deploy cutting-edge biopharmaceutical manufacturing technology to support current and future workforce demands while promoting community outreach and engagement for students and practicing professionals.

Why Jefferson?

• JIB is a unique transdisciplinary, hands-on training & education institute that exemplifies the vision of the new Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University).
• This is another example of the power of the merger of PhilaU and TJU, resulting in a distinctive combination of engineering and biosciences expertise and focus on collaborative, transdisciplinary education that we call Nexus Learning.
• The collaboration with NIBRT aligns perfectly with our academic philosophy - training students for today's jobs and for jobs that don't yet exist