Medical Engineering Special Seminar Series, Colin Cook, PhD

In vitro tissue culture remains inefficient due to inferior oxygen transport in polystyrene and stirred tank bioreactors versus native capillary beds. Taking a bioinspired approach, we engineered a respiring cultureware and perfusion bioreactor platform capable of high density, shear-free, 3D cell culture. Leveraging the oxygen permeability of silicone and finite element modelling, we designed micromolded membranes that provide high oxygen transport (local kLa equivalent >100/hr). The "high density cell respirator" (HDCR) microarchitecture comprises rows of silicone fins that protrude up from a base membrane. The fins act as artificial capillaries to oxygenate the niche between them, where cells expand. Cellularities of >1E8 cells/cm3 are routinely achieved across common cell lines, approaching theoretical limits of 3D confluence. The HDCR platform is compatible with adherent, suspension, microcarrier, and spheroid cultures, and inherently linearly scalable due to the conserved geometry across 96-well, 24-well, dish, and perfusion cartridge formats. Applications are explored across general cell culture, CAR-T, viral vector, and antibody, demonstrating utility for multipurpose, intensified bioproduction.

Biography: Colin Cook, Ph.D., is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Technical Founder of XDemics Corporation, where he leads the development of next-generation cultureware and bioreactor technologies designed to enable scalable, reproducible, and cost-effective manufacturing of cell and gene therapies. XDemics is the commercial licensee of the High-Density Cell Respirator (HDCR) platform, invented by Dr. Cook in the MEMS Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and subsequently validated at the City of Hope National Medical Center through a fast-tracked Phase I/II NIH STTR program.

Dr. Cook earned his Ph.D. in Medical Engineering from Caltech as a member of the program's inaugural class, and an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, with a focus on tissue engineering and bioreactor design. His research interests span medical devices, biomanufacturing, and global health. Dr. Cook has been recognized with the Demetriades–Tsafka–Kokkalis Prize in Entrepreneurship and multiple national fellowships and scholarships for academic and research excellence. www.xdemics.com