2024-02-14 | Graduation Opportunity Design and Prototyping of the Decision-Making Component of an IPSC Automation System with Human-in-the-Loop AI Integration, Erasmus MC

This master's thesis project aims to contribute to the automation of the production of human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSC) by designing and prototyping a decision-making component for an iPSC machine called the RXF system. hiPSCs are pluripotent embryonic stem cells that can be generated from skin or blood cells through a reprogramming process. They offer the possibility to model human diseases and study their behavior. They help scientists discover early disease-causing events in cells and are therefore used in discoveries about premature aging, congenital heart disease, cancer, and disorders connected to fetal development. Because of their characteristics, pluripotent cells can create any body cell to study disease but can also be manipulated to manufacture healthy cells for transplants. The generation of iPSCs is very labor-intensive, requiring daily monitoring and handling of iPSCs. To help scale up hiPSC cell production, researchers at the iPS Core Facility at Erasmus MC are developing the RXF system, which combines several automation technologies to streamline the production process.