Prof. Cui is the Donald Pollock Professor of Chemical Engineering; University of Oxford since the Chair was established in 2000. He was the Founding Director of the Oxford Centre for Tissue Engineering and Bioprocessing and Founding Director of the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR). He was educated in China (BSc, Inner Mongolia Polytechnic University, MSc and PhD from Dalian University of Technology). After a postdoc in Strathclyde University, he became a lecturer in Edinburgh University in 1991, moved to Oxford in 1994 as a University Lecturer and Tutorial Fellow in Keble College. He was elected to the first Chemical Engineering Chair in 2000 and moved to Hertford College as a Professorial Fellow. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE) and a Fellow of American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (FAIMBE). He was awarded the ‘Doctor of Science’ by the University of Oxford in 2009 and elected to a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 2013. He was elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2021. He has recently been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2023.

Prof Cui’s  current research mainly focuses on regenerative biomedical engineering and in vitro diagnostics.

Topic title: Preservation of Cellular Bioproducts

Abstract:

The products of any biomanufacturing process need to be preserved to maintain their biological functionalities, mechanical properties, macro, micro and nano-structures. The period for bioproduct preservation varies from hours, days, weeks, months and years, depending on the product types, time required of manufacture, and the degree of the need for off-the-shelf availability.

Long-term preservation of cellular bioproducts, such as engineered tissues, 3D printed bio-constructs, and organoids, presents significant challenges. Cryopreservation, including vitrification, storing cellular products at -80°C or in liquid nitrogen, is often the preferred method. However, preserving the 3D structure while maintaining cell viability and functionality presents significant challenges,   due to poor understanding of the biological systems and heat and mass transfer limitations. Additionally, the cost of cold chain storage and transport drives efforts to produce dried products, though removing water from cellular products introduces further challenges.

In this presentation, I will discuss cellular responses to reduced temperature, cryoprotectants, and dehydration, while analysing heat and mass transfer processes across scales. Building on this understanding, I will present five preservation strategies tailored to different applications:

(i)Hypothermal preservation (4-8°C, refrigeration)

(ii)Cryopreservation (-80°C and LN2)

(iii)Vitrification, a specialized form of cryopreservation

(iv)Freeze-drying or lyophilization

(v)Matrix-assisted room temperature (MART) drying