Keele Badge

MTE-40022 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 14 December 2025

MTE-40022 - Bioreactors and Growth Environments
Coordinator: Charlotte Hulme
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 734414

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

The Bioreactors and Growth Environments Module is delivered as an intensive course. This includes a short series of introductory lectures over 4-5 weeks. This is followed by a workshop with academic, industry and bioreactor user experts which is delivered over 2-3 days, offering the opportunity to engage in a conference format. Additionally, students work collaboratively to design a novel bioreactor for an application of their choice; developing multiple transferable skills, such as collaboration, ability to orally present in a group and innovative bioreactor design. The course covers the design and functionality of all bioreactor aspects for use in regenerative medicine. This includes the construction and different methods used to assess different sorts of tissue types grown within the bioreactors. Students will be informed about the growth environments for engineering tissues for transplantation, as well as being introduced to the subject of quality standards for growth environments in tissue production.

Aims
To provide an intensive course in the design of bioreactors for use in regenerative medicine.
To inform on the growth environments for engineering tissues for transplantation.
To introduce the subject of quality standards for growth environments in tissue production.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/mte-40022/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

critically appraise bioreactor designs for a range of tissue types: 1,2
1,2
apply their comprehensive and conceptual understanding to critique and evaluate the modern techniques in applying biomechanical stimuli to cells for tissue engineering purposes: 1,2
formulate original recommendations for growth environments: 1,2
1,2
effectively disseminate research data and information using well-structured arguments supported by a wide range of sources/evidence: 1,2

Study hours

Active Learning - 35 hrs:
Lectures = 10
Online drop-in support sessions = 2
Workshop/Practical = 18
Asynchronous Activities on KLE = 5
Independent Study - 115 hrs:
Presentation Assignment =10
Written assignment = 25
Private study = 80
Total = 150

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Presentation weighted 30%
Brief Oral Presentation on Bioreactor Design Concept
You are required to deliver a 10 minute (8+2 min questions) oral presentation on a chosen bioreactor design and application. The presentation should include a specific type of bioreactor or organ-on-a-chip system for use in growth or differentiation of a therapeutically relevant cell type(s) e.g. hMSC, or any other stem/somatic cell of choice. The focus of the presentation should be on suggested improvements and/or alterations that can be made to an existing bioreactor system to make it more suited for a different cell type or clinical/therapeutic/clinical research application than that it is currently used for. Alternatively, you can present a more novel bioreactor design that you have developed for a particular purpose.

2: Essay weighted 70%
Coursework Essay
You are required to write a 3000 word essay on a chosen bioreactor design and application. The essay should include a specific type of bioreactor or organ-on-a-chip system for use in growth or differentiation of a therapeutically relevant cell type(s) e.g. hMSC, or any other stem/somatic cell of choice. The essay can summarise an existing bioreactor system but should include some attempt to consider improvements and/or alterations that can be made to the system to make it more suited for a different cell type or clinical/therapeutic/clinical research application than that it is currently used for.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 14 December 2025