Optimizing Closed-System iPSC Processes Using a Scaled-Down, Computer-Controlled Parallel Bioreactor Platform

This poster evaluates the MiniPRO, a scaled-down, computer-controlled Vertical-Wheel® bioreactor platform, for expansion of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Oxygen-controlled MiniPRO cultures were compared with non-controlled systems across conventional inoculation and direct-thaw workflows. Results showed consistent aggregate size distributions, preservation of pluripotency markers SOX2 and OCT4, and enhanced process control through dissolved oxygen regulation. Scale-up studies demonstrated comparable growth kinetics, metabolite profiles, and aggregate characteristics between MiniPRO and PBS-3L systems, supporting MiniPRO as a representative scale-down model for efficient process development and reduced scale-up risk in PSC manufacturing.

This white paper examines the cost and operational advantages of scaling cell therapy manufacturing with Vertical-Wheel® bioreactors compared with planar culture and stirred-tank systems. It evaluates expansion efficiency, labor, facility footprint, process consistency, contamination risk, and cell quality. Published studies in hiPSCs and MSCs are used to assess yield, handling requirements, reproducibility, viability, phenotype, potency, and scale-up performance. A side-by-side cost comparison, including a 3 L PBS Biotech system, illustrates how Vertical-Wheel bioreactors can support a more streamlined and scalable manufacturing approach while recognizing that actual costs depend on the specific process.

This study combines CFD simulations with hPSC suspension culture experiments to investigate scale-up in Vertical-Wheel® bioreactors. The authors compare conventional Eulerian metrics, including volume-averaged shear stress and energy dissipation rate (EDR), with Lagrangian analysis of aggregate trajectories. Aggregate size, agitation rate, and bioreactor scale were shown to influence hydrodynamic exposure, while EDR correlated more strongly with aggregation efficiency, aggregate size, and cell expansion than shear stress. The findings highlight the value of tracking aggregate exposure histories to guide more representative scale-up and agitation strategies for hPSC manufacturing in Vertical-Wheel bioreactors.