ABOVE: A red blood cell generated from a human induced pluripotent stem cell
BENOIT MALLERET, DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY, YONG LOO LIN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a steep drop in blood donations, leading blood centers in the US to raise the alarm about critical shortages, laying bare the fragility of the current blood supply. For years, scientists anticipating disruptions to the blood supply—due to issues such as emerging pathogens that can be transmitted through blood or the rapidly aging population, which could drastically reduce the number of potential donors in the future—have been working on developing ways to produce blood in factories in order to provide an alternative source of the vital substance.
In a study published December 10 in Stem Cell Reports, Steve Oh, the director of the Stem Cell Bioprocessing group at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in ...
