What happens when 3D printing meets pharmaceutical innovation?

How is AbbVie’s SPaRCS team reshaping research with 3D printing?

In this three-part series of Big Ideas at Microscale, host Hemdeep speaks with Drew Wollman, Anne Tong, and John Shanley from AbbVie’s SPaRCS group, a curiosity-driven, skunkworks-style team building custom scientific tools with 3D printing that are transforming drug discovery.

In each episode, we cover:

Part 1

The origin of SPaRCS, their mission of “organized chaos,” and how diverse expertise in engineering, microfabrication, and fluid dynamics comes together to accelerate innovation inside a pharmaceutical company.

Part 2

How 3D printing became a cornerstone of SPaRCS’s workflow, from early skepticism to a fleet of printers enabling rapid iteration. We dive into the creation of the iBeacon, a one-of-a-kind microfluidic device that measures protein viscosity and concentration with just two microliters of material.

Part 3

The technical breakthroughs and problem-solving mindset behind printing microfluidic devices at scale, overcoming delamination, curing challenges, microchannel cleaning, and alignment across thousands of layers, and how humility and collaboration drive SPaRCS’s success. Notes: At the time of recording all guests were employees of AbbVie.

At the time of recording, all guests were employees of AbbVie.

Disclaimer:

John Shanley, Anne Tong, and Drew Wollman state. The opinions and views expressed in this episode of Big Ideas at Microscale are solely my own and do not reflect the views, opinions, or positions of AbbVie or any of its affiliates.