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odin917 t1_iumi5ub wrote

is the yield greater than the input? that is, is it possible to get more stuff out of a bioreactor than you put in in such a way that it's viable for large scale use?

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UniversityofBath OP t1_iumpi2s wrote

Yes, absolutely! It is the key aim of using technologies such as the bioreactor. We start with a small number of stem cells or progenitor that have the capacity to divide and give rise to more stem/progenitor cells, under the right conditions. Once we get enough starting stem/progenitor cells, we then modify the bioreactor conditions to promote their maturation (also known as differentiation) to form red blood cells. Our research aims to identify these best conditions to grow and mature these cells within bioreactors, as well as the starting cell number and final cell numbers we can get from the bioreactor.

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