Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Scalable Stirred Suspension Bioreactors for Pluripotent Stem Cell Expansion
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells are known for their potential use in cell-based therapy, disease model study, and drug screening. One of the key challenges in pluripotent stem cell research is to establish scalable bioprocesses that reliably produce cells with high quality at any desired quantity. Stirred suspension bioreactors (SSBs) are known to provide a controlled and well-mixed environment for aggregate-forming cells, such as murine and human PSCs. Hydrodynamic environment of SSBs, particularly shear stress and small eddies, have been shown to have a significant impact on the expansion and pluripotency of pluripotent stem cells. However, the exact mechanism has not been fully understood. In this project, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation was employed to model the hydrodynamic environment within SSBs with various configurations and physical conditions. Understanding the hydrodynamics is one of the first key steps in bioprocess development of PSCs using SSBs.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Biomedical
Citation
Le, A. (2016). Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Scalable Stirred Suspension Bioreactors for Pluripotent Stem Cell Expansion (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25392