Applied Biopharm Consulting partners with South East Technological University to advance viral vector research

Applied Biopharm Consulting Ltd has announced a new research collaboration with the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC) at the South East Technological University (SETU) in Waterford, Ireland, to experimentally validate aspects of its artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biomolecular research programme. The collaboration is supported through the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher scheme, enabling the company to access specialised laboratory expertise within the university.

With strong research activity across pharmaceutical science, biotechnology and applied life sciences and supported by the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway programme PMBRC has developed extensive capabilities in industry-focused research and collaboration with emerging technology companies.

Through this collaboration, cell-based studies will be undertaken at SETU to generate experimental data supporting the continued development of Applied Biopharm Consulting’s computational viral vector engineering platform. These studies will provide experimental validation to complement the company’s computational research activities.

Building on its 2024 feasibility study grant and the subsequent Intellectual Property (IP) Start Grant awarded in 2026 under Enterprise Ireland’s IP Strategy initiative, Applied Biopharm Consulting continues to expand its internal research and development programme focused on next-generation viral vector engineering. The Innovation Voucher collaboration represents the next step in translating computational research into experimentally validated technologies while supporting the company’s ongoing intellectual property strategy.

Applied Biopharm Consulting’s research programme integrates artificial intelligence, structural bioinformatics and molecular simulation techniques to analyse large datasets of protein structures and explore novel biomolecular interactions. These computational approaches are being applied to explore new strategies for viral vector design relevant to advanced biologics and gene therapy development.

Dr. Anthony Newcombe, Managing Director of Applied Biopharm Consulting Ltd, commented: “Establishing a research collaboration with South East Technological University represents an important step in advancing our viral vector engineering programme from computational design toward experimental validation. The Innovation Voucher scheme enables us to access specialised academic expertise and laboratory capabilities that complement our computational research platform.”

Dr Niall O’Reilly, Centre Director of the PMBRC added: “We are pleased to collaborate with Applied Biopharm Consulting on this research initiative. Partnerships between academia and industry provide valuable opportunities to translate innovative ideas into experimentally validated technologies, and this project highlights how academic research capabilities can support emerging biotechnology innovation. This collaboration also fits well into our current research portfolio in areas such as gene therapy and biomedical science”

The collaboration represents the next stage in Applied Biopharm Consulting’s internal research and development (R&D) programme, which combines computational biologics research with experimental validation and intellectual property development.

Alongside its research activities, Applied Biopharm Consulting continues to support global biopharmaceutical companies in GMP compliance, Regulatory CMC, Manufacturing Science & Technology (MSAT), Quality Assurance and technology transfer. By integrating extensive regulatory and manufacturing expertise with next-generation biologics engineering capabilities, the company is positioning itself at the intersection of advanced therapy development and biologics innovation.

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