Principal Investigators
Angelica Fernandez
Nicholas McMahon
Inclusive Dates 
07/28/2025 to 11/28/2025

Background

The project was undertaken to address the challenge of differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into neural stem cells within a bioreactor environment. The goal is to develop a reliable and efficient methodology using SwRI's bioreactor systems, which would pave the way for advancements in biomedical applications, particularly in neural therapies and research.

Approach

The project’s objective is to develop and validate a process for the differentiation of iPSCs into neural stem cells. The methodology is divided into two primary phases:

  • Phase 1: Differentiation in Celglu 6-Well Plates
    • Use Celglu 6-well plates with a specialized coating for iPSC binding.
    • Seed iPSCs and allow for initial expansion.
    • Dissociate cells using Accutase and reseed for differentiation.
    • Maintain cells with daily media changes for 9-14 days.
    • Characterize cells using flow cytometry before and after differentiation.
  • Phase 2: Translation to SwRI B-250 Bioreactor
    • Adapt the successful 2-D differentiation protocol to a 3-D bioreactor environment.
    • Seed the bioreactor with the required iPSC density.
    • Use a closed-loop perfusion system for expansion and differentiation.

Accomplishments

This project was recently initiated, and we are currently conducting further validation in the bioreactor environment.