Stämm Biotech raises $17 million to develop desktop 3D printed bioreactors

March 2, 2022, ArgentinabiologyTechnology company Stämm Biotech has closed a $17 million Series Afinancingwhich will benefit the next generation of the company3D printingThe bioreactor development process accelerated.Stämm is developing a microfluidic-based bioreactor using a proprietary brick-printing technology developed in-house, which is already available at Sclereid 3D printingmachine assembly.According to Stämm, this3D printerIn just one year, the global biopharmaceutical bioreactor installation needs can be met. In addition to perfecting its microfluidic bioreactor and related tools, the company plans to use the new funding to increase its workforce to around 200 people and expand its international presence.

△ Stämm Biotechnology’s bioprocessor, containing the company’s 3D printed microbial reactor. Image via Stämm Biotech.

New bioreactor from Stämm

Industrial-scale bioreactors are mostly large, sterilized jars filled with media in which specific types of cells or organisms can grow. In most bioreactors, cell cultures are agitated using electric instruments, maintained at the desired temperature using coolants, and supplied with the right amount of oxygen to support their growth.Stämm is looking to reduce this biofabrication facility into a desktop-sized all-in-one plug-and-play unit, consisting of three microfluidic devices. The company’s bioreactors contain:

1) Cell line-on-a-chip: to provide a stable flow of available cells to start the reaction process;

2) Bioreactor-on-a-chip: can calibrate parameters such as culture medium, pH value, dissolved oxygen and cell density;

3) A bubble-free microbial reactor printed with porous material.

For the microbial reactor, Stämm is deploying3D printing technologyto create an intricate network of microchannels that give cells access to the nutrients and oxygen they need, thus eliminating the need for tanks, agitation and plumbing. Microchannels place cells in a continuous, unidirectional, laminar flow and allow for ideal mixing of cells, media, and gas to ensure optimal conditions at all times.

The complex nature of microfluidic channels means that 3D printing is the only technology the company has identified as suitable for the task. However, existing additive manufacturing processes on the market cannot provide large surface areas without compromising precise dimensions. To overcome this problem, the company Stämm decided to build its own machine.

Sclereid of Stämm 3D printerFeaturing the company’s proprietary brick printing technology, which takes advantage of printing millions of dots simultaneously, with the precision and versatility of a laser printer. Equipped with a 29-liter print volume, Sclereid is capable of printing 590 million 6-micron pixels per second, with a whopping 983 million pixels per layer.
After developing Sclereid, Stämm used the machine to 3D print tiny bioreactors for its desktop biofabrication facility. Not only is the bioreactor 200 times smaller than many conventional industrial counterparts, but it also claims to increase productivity by about 70 times.

△ Sclereid 3D printer powered by StämmBiotech’s brick printing technology. Image via Stämm Biotech.

$17 million in Series A funding

Stämm’s $17 million Series A round brings the company’s total funding to date to $20 million. It will use the funds to continue developing its 3D-printed bioreactor and enter the early stages of commercializing the technology.Stämm will use part of the funds to double its workforce to around 200 and expand its international presence. The capital injection will also help the company further refine and develop the tools needed to control its biomanufacturing facilities.The latest funding round was led by asset manager Varana, with newInvestInvolved by Vista, New Abundance, Trillian, Serenity Traders, Teramips and Decarbonization Consortium. Stämm’s existing investors Draper Associates, SOSV, Grid Exponential, VistaEnergy, Cygnus Draper and Dragones VC also backed the round.

Stämm told TechCrunch that it has five potential new partners and plans to enter “pilot scale” for its bioreactor later this year.

△ The 3D printed DNA amplification device contains a magnet and PCB heater. Photo via University of Crete.

Advances in 3D Printing Bioreactors

Previously, additive manufacturing has been utilized in various bioreactor designs. For example, a team of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and India’s Madras Institute of Technology has developed a new 3D printed microfluidic bioreactor capable of growing self-organizing human brain tissue at a cost of just $5 , which could provide a low-cost alternative for drug testing and developing treatments for diseases such as dementia.Elsewhere, researchers at the University of Crete have previously 3D printed bioreactors for DNA replication purposes, while scientists at Cornell University have 3D printed a microscopic bioreactor capable of making synthetic intestines.

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Stämm Biotech raises $17 million to develop desktop 3D printed bioreactors

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