The European Summer School on Microfluidics will return from 13–17 July 2026 at University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom. This intensive week‑long programme offers participants a comprehensive introduction to the science, technology, and applications of microfluidics. Aimed at postgraduate students, early‑career researchers, and professionals, the Summer School combines lectures from leading experts with practical sessions, demonstrations, and discussion-based learning.

The 2026 edition will explore core principles of microfluidic design and operation, fabrication methods, analytical techniques, and emerging innovations in diagnostics, biotechnology, and engineering. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with an international community, exchange ideas, and gain insight into current trends shaping the future of the field.

The Summer School will provide lunches, refreshments, and a social event. Travel and accommodation are not included and should be arranged by the attendees themselves.

This online course is designed to provide an intensive overview of the antibody therapeutics field, enabling you to:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of the historical aspects, current research and future direction of the development of antibodies as therapeutics.

• Provide an overview on key aspects including antibody structure,function, diversity, antibody fragments and Antibody Drug Conjugates

(ADCs)

• Gain insights to some of the issues that are required to develop antibodies from the bench to the clinic/market and raises issues with regard to manufacture, intellectual property and regulatory aspects.
• Effectively engage in cross-disciplinary collaborations with other professionals on how to formulate a strategy to design, develop and apply industry regulations and best practice to ensure quality and success.

Flexible Learning

Self-paced learning through a series of interactive audio presentations and animated videos. From the date of enrolment, delegates can access online materials for up to 9 months allowing for flexible study.

Focusing on how to specify the process and how to determine its economic feasibility.

This module focuses on how to specify a complex bioprocess and determine its economic feasibility. It will:

• Specify a major item of process equipment.
• Interpret engineering drawings used in equipment procurement.
• Perform economic analyses of the process and determine sensitivities to process changes.
• Achieve value for money in complex engineering projects.
• Recommend a process that is technically feasible and economically viable.
• Determine the types of data needed to specify unit operations and processes.
• Develop process flowsheets and mass balances.
• Network with sector leaders and subject matter experts.

The cost of the course includes tuition, course materials, lunches, refreshments and a networking dinner. Accommodation is not included.

This module focuses on how to take a process from a paper design to fully-operational facility, and will enable you to:

• Design a plant layout considering the relevant regulatory requirements.
• Understand the impact of facility design requirements on costs.
• Determine a project schedule including phases, installation, commissioning and validation.
• Accurately interpret engineering drawings used in design.
• Prepare a safety and environmental review to define risks, hazards and safety strategy.
• Understand the role of contractors, work with them more effectively and analyse their proposals.
• Network with sector leaders and subject matter experts.

 The cost of the course includes tuition, course materials, lunches, refreshments and a networking dinner. Accommodation is not included.

This course addresses the real-world challenges of translating discoveries to the clinic in a way that is commercially viable. A series of lectures and interactive case studies will enable you to:

• Understand the distinctions of manufacturing cells compared with biologics
• Understand the challenges faced in advancing cell and gene therapies to clinic and the lessons learned from established companies
• Understand the impact of design and engineering considerations on cell and gene therapy manufacture
• Identify and define critical process parameters for different cell and gene therapy applications
• Knowledge and application of analytical toolsets for quality measurement
• Understand key implications to facilitate and expedite translation from laboratory to a manufacturing and clinical setting

The cost of the course includes tuition, course materials, lunches, refreshments and a networking dinner. Accommodation is not included.

This online course focuses on the development of gene therapeutics with emphasis on viral delivery, GMP and process and facility design as well as manufacture and commercialisation of gene therapies. Themes include the use of viruses and vectors and their production, bioreactors and biomanufacture and regulation of gene therapies.

This course enables the learner to:

·       Identify diseases where gene therapy may be applicable

·       Understand key elements of virology in creating gene therapies

·       Understand the importance of vector biology in gene therapies

·       Understand the principles of good manufacturing practice

·       Fundamentals of upstream and downstream processing

·       Recognise regulatory and ethical issues relating to gene therapy

·       Identify and recognise challenges in gene therapies

The course is designed to explore the critical issues at each stage of vaccine development. Attendees hear from international experts about the research as well as operational and regulatory challenges facing the global vaccine market. In addition to expert lectures and excellent networking opportunities with your peers, one case study will be conducted during the workshop about strategies for commercial specifications for vaccines.

Topics covered will include:

Introduction to Vaccine Development with Case Studies

Scale-up from lab to pilot scale

Quality by Design (QbD) as part of vaccine development

Expression systems

Single use platforms

Process Development Challenges of Novel Vaccines

Adventitious Agent Contamination in Biomanufacturing

Final formulation and adjuvants

Regulatory Perspectives and Future Directions

Global Vaccine Preparedness to Respond to Future Disease Outbreaks

The cost of the course includes tuition, course materials, lunches, refreshments and a networking dinner. Accommodation is not included.

A practical, industry-aligned introduction to tangential flow filtration, delivering hands-on experience with membrane processing using the ÄKTA Flux system.

Membrane processing is a cornerstone of modern biomanufacturing, underpinning critical operations such as concentration, buffer exchange, and impurity removal. This hands-on MBI course is designed to bridge the gap between theory and real-world application, giving participants direct experience of tangential flow filtration (TFF) using the ÄKTA Flux S system.

Delivered at UCL East and developed in close alignment with industry expectations, the course combines core membrane theory with immersive practical sessions. Participants will work through complete TFF workflows, from membrane selection and system setup to running concentration and diafiltration steps, interpreting live process data, and troubleshooting common operational challenges.

Emphasis is placed on understanding process behaviour through pressure, flux, and performance trends using UNICORN software, empowering participants to make informed, data-driven decisions. By the end of the course, attendees will not only understand how membrane systems work, but will have the confidence to operate, analyse, and optimise membrane processes in an industrial context.