Michael Kallos, PhD - University of Calgary

Stem Cell Bioprocess Engineering: Why Bioreactors are Vital for Clinical Applications of Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine aims to replace or repair the function of diseased or damaged tissues or organs. Stem cells are a key player in tissue growth and development and will play a key role in regenerative medicine. In particular, pluripotent stem cells, due to their ability to generate cells from all three germ layers, and their ability to be cultured in the laboratory, have emerged as a promising cell source. Many regenerative medicine applications will require generation of large numbers of stem cells or their differentiated progeny under tightly controlled conditions by using computer-controlled bioreactors. The overall objective of our research is to accelerate the development of technologies for controlled expansion and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. The aim is to use high-throughput scaled-down bioreactor experiments and predictive modeling to develop robust scalable bioprocesses. Effective, reliable bioprocesses are a key missing link between the science of discovery and the clinical realization of stem-cell-based regenerative medicine therapies. This presentation will provide an overview of our activities in this area with a focus on embryonic stem cell expansion and differentiation in stirred suspension bioreactors.

Michael S. Kallos is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Associate Director of the Pharmaceutical Production Research Facility (PPRF) in the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. He is also the Director of the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program and has an Adjunct position in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy in the Faculty of Medicine. His research area is the application of chemical engineering principles, including reactor kinetics, mass transfer and fluid flow to the bioengineering of stem cell expansion and differentiation systems. Recently his focus has been on embryonic stem cell expansion and differentiation to bone and cartilage. He has authored a number of publications, book chapters and presented conference papers and posters at local, national and international meetings. He has also won a number of teaching awards, and was featured in 2009 Avenue magazine's Top 40 Under 40 for Calgary.

Every semester, the SCEC welcomes keynote speakers to the Georgia Tech stem cell research community to speak on behalf of their university, institution, industry, or research lab in regards to stem cell engineering. This experience is meant to broaden the stem cell research alliance between local researchers and worldwide experts for the purposes of communicating stem cell advancements across the globe while developing future collaborative opportunities. The SCEC seminar series speakers range from international stem cell academia to industry professionals and research scientists.