Expertise: Cell culture, Primary cells isolation, Bioreactors
Short Bio:
Hélder Bandarra-Tavares completed his Master in Biological Engineering at IST in 2021 and started his research career at SCERG in 2022, in a project focusing on the isolation and scalable expansion of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). In 2023, Hélder started his PhD project, which represented a shift towards animal cells, mainly of bovine origin, with the goal of establishing a platform for scalable expansion and differentiation of MSCs for cultivated meat applications. Hélder's enthusiasm towards the field of cellular agriculture is coupled with his motivation to work towards safe and sustainable food systems.
Research Focus:
Investigation on scalable culture systems for cultivated meat production
Isolation, scalable expansion of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and production of MSC-derived extracllular vesicles (EVs) in xeno-free conditions, using CTS reagents of Thermo Fisher – iBB-LT_2021