Capturing the procedure
Production began on location at NIBRT’s facility. Trainees performed the procedure while Mersus’s team recorded every step using 360° cameras mounted on the trainees’ heads, supplemented by standard cameras to capture body movement and spatial positioning. Each section of the procedure was documented in detail, with photographic references taken of every piece of equipment for use during 3D modelling and texturing.
Building the simulation
Back at Mersus’s studio, the footage was reviewed and every interaction meticulously observed, categorised, and translated into a narrative document defining exactly how the VR application would work from start to finish. With NIBRT’s sign-off on the narrative, the team moved to storyboarding — followed by a full design document covering concept art, UI design, and interaction flows.
To keep the project on schedule, 3D modelling, texturing, animation, particle effects, and code development ran simultaneously once the design document was approved. When a beta version was reached, the application underwent rigorous internal testing — every bug logged and resolved in order of priority — before being shared with NIBRT for external review. With final refinements complete, the application moved to release.
What the simulation delivered
The finished application gives NIBRT a realistic, immersive cleanroom environment in which trainees can practice complex bioprocessing procedures before working in a tightly controlled facility. Trainees build foundational competence in the classroom through VR, reducing the risk of errors — and potential impact on product quality — when they transition to live processing environments.
NIBRT worked very closely with Mersus in building a hugely valuable VR training simulation of a complex manual process performed in the biopharmaceutical industry. The use of VR has allowed us to effectively train individuals on these techniques in a realistically simulated cleanroom environment — trainees can build confidence with the task at hand before graduating to a more tightly controlled environment. Mersus are highly efficient and thorough, they strive for excellence with a focus on customer satisfaction, and their knowledge of the technology is first class. We would highly recommend the team.Aoife Barron, Senior Bioprocessing Trainer — NIBRT