Abstract
Chemical engineering plays a critical role in many emerging fields including regenerative medicine. Processing of human stem cells and manufacturing of engineered tissues all require innovative design and novel operation, expanding the ever growing boundary of chemical engineering.
In this presentation, two case studies are discussed to demonstrate the key role that chemical engineering plays in a multi-disciplinary team. The first is to engineer three dimensional (3D) human neural network, which involves stem cell culture and controlled differentiation within a three dimensional architecture, directional growth of neurons using concentration gradients, cell positioning using surface chemistry, and data analysis using complex modelling techniques. Such 3D neural networks, as an in vitro model, can be used to study neural physiology, drug testing, neural degeneration and regeneration. The second example is the manufacture of engineered cornea, the very first product of such kind in the world developed by China Regenerative Medicine International (CRMI). Although the key operation is a multiple stage decellularisation process, the development of such a ‘unit operation’ is far from being straight forward. Sterilisation, work under Good Manufacture Practice (GMP), potential damage to products, and quality monitoring and process control, etc, all impose new challenges. With successful scale up methodology, a fully automated process for porcine cornea decellularisation is developed and put into practice.
About the speaker
Prof Zhanfeng Cui received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Dalian University of Technology in 1987. He had his postdoctoral research at the University of Strathclyde from 1988 to 1991. He was faculty at the University of Edinburgh from 1991 to 1994. He joined University of Oxford in 1994, and is currently Donald Pollock Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of CRMI Technology Centre.
Prof Cui’s main research interest is regenerative medical technologies, particularly focusing on tissue engineering and stem cell therapies. He remains active in protein processing and membrane separation.
Prof Cui had received the Global Research Award and the Foresight Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
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