Merck Millipore and CCRM Collaborate to Optimize Conditions for Large-scale Stem Cell Cultivation
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Merck Millipore and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) have announced a collaboration to develop optimized conditions for bioreactor-based cultivation of stem cells.
This joint project will focus on the development of a proprietary monitoring and control methodology, enabling robust growth of adherent human pluripotent stem cells in Merck Millipore’s Mobius® CellReady stirred tank bioreactor.
Ultimately, the project will deliver a commercially available kit containing reagents and associated methodologies for bioreactor culture of stem cells on microcarriers.
“As the demand for stem cells used in drug discovery and clinical applications grows, effectively translating the promise of stem cells into therapeutic reality will require large-scale, industrialized production under tightly controlled conditions,” states Robert Shaw, Commercial Director of Merck Millipore’s Stem Cell Initiative.
Shaw continued, “At this time, production is typically achieved using stacks of 2D tissue culture vessels, which is an expensive and labor intensive process. This joint project will address those challenges and facilitate optimized, large-scale cultivation of stem cells which can accelerate the progress of therapies into the clinic.”
“When CCRM was created, we had industry partnerships like this in mind,” says Michael May, CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine.
May continued, “We are delighted to have Merck Millipore as our first project partner. Their production expertise and technologies will help CCRM to develop products that will benefit industry, academia, and the patient community. We appreciate that Merck Millipore has commissioned us to undertake this project and recognizes our strength in bioprocessing engineering.”
CCRM will be employing Merck Millipore’s Mobius® CellReady stirred tank bioreactor in its product development facility at the University of Toronto’s Banting Institute. The work began in February 2012.
