Description: Personal webpage of Joan Gallego.
image/svg+xml I am a PhD candidate at the Delft University of Technology developing and scaling up a cultivation system for the production of cultured red blood cells. My work and academic experience has been shaped by the idea of building bridges: connecting lab work to modeling and simulations, cell biology knowledge to biochemical engineering, and fundamental research to process optimization. I am passionate about bringing science fiction ideas to reality using biotechnology.
Collaboration project between the Department of Hematopoiesis at Sanquin, and the Bioprocess Engineering section at TU Delft aiming to scale-up the production of cultured red blood cells for transfusion purposes. Scaled-up human erythroblast cultures from static culture dishes to 500 mL and 3 L stirred tank bioreactors. Developed a perfusion cultivation method using acoustic cell retention, leading to a 5X increase in maximum cell concentrations. Determined nutrient requirements of cultured human erythrobla
Screened fungal strains for the production of microbial animal feed, based on high biomass yield, ability to grow on a wide range of carbon sources, tolerance to low pH and high temperature, and high protein content. Cultivated selected strains on 10 L stirred tank reactors and 12 L bubble column under batch and fed-batch modes. Optimized dewatering conditions for improved processing of biomass (filtration, pressing and fluid bed drying). Internship results ultimately led to the patent EP3497203A1 (co-inven