Stem cell culture engineering

The stem cells from embryos as well as a variety of tissue sources hold promise for regenerative medicine.When one is embarking on the transformation of stem cell science to technologies benefitting patients in need, it is prudent to reflect on the roles of engineering in propelling such transformation. While many areas of engineering, including innovative fabrication of cell habitats for cultivation and implantation and scale-up, are also crucial, we emphasize the critical need for introducing better quantification of stem cell culture as a first step of converting it to a process. Quantitative characterization of stem cells, their potency and the process of differentiation allows for objective comparison of cells of different sources, protocols, and enhances process robustness. Herein we discuss the key variables to be characterized for stem cells in culture and possible formulas that may serve as a starting point for establishing a sound description of the stem cell culture process.