Article by Amanda Jasi Fraunhofer The research assembly for the inactivation process incorporates a patented pump and roll system which guides pathogen-containing liquid to through an irradiation chamber. SEEKING to accelerate a novel method for producing inactivated vaccines to market and ensure competitivity, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation has partnered with a specialist machinery manufacturer and a consulting company. The novel method could make vaccine production faster, safer, and cheaper. Inactivated vaccines contain virus particles that have been rendered such by chemicals to eliminate pathogens, typically by the toxic substance formaldehyde. According to Fraunhofer, a better method would be irradiating the pathogens using low-energy electrons, which enables quicker production and guarantees higher quality product.