Animal Cell Culture Technology Group

The Animal Cell Culture Technology Group conceived with the SFI support in 2005 in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research at the University College Dublin is the first and only such group in Ireland dedicated to the process engineering of biotechnological processes involving animal cells based on a combination of engineering, analytical, biological and physiological skills.
The major themes of the scientific programme are:
1. Genomic and proteomic analysis of cultured mammalian cells for bioprocessing.
2. Improved cell line development by a high throughput affinity capture display technique and flow cytometry.
3. Uncoupling of cell growth and proliferation to enhance productivity by metabolic engineering approach.
4. Optimisation of biopharmaceuticals production from mammalian cells using continuous chemostat culture at different dilution rates..
The group also has research interests in the following:
1. In-vitro expansion of chondroprogenitor cells (adult stem cells).
2. Bioprocessing of virally transduced cells for the application of gene therapy.
3. Development of serum free media.
4. Development of a scaleable disposable bioreactor for animal cell culture
5. Application of systems biology to understanding the behaviour of mammalian cells and enhancing their targeted productivity.