Melanie Matheu is the founder and CEO of Prellis Biologics. Dr. Matheu earned her PhD from UC Irvine in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics where she used two-photon imaging to study the immune system in organs and tissues. Dr. Matheu utilized similar technology to build a laser-based bioprinting system that can match the resolution of human tissues with print speeds fast enough to produce larger organs.

Dr. Lee Sierad is the founder and president of Aptus Bioreactors. He completed his PhD in Bioengineering from Clemson University in 2014 after receiving his MS in Bioengineering from the same (2009) and his BS in Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2007). In August of 2015, after holding a post-doctoral fellowship position for one year, he transitioned full time to Aptus Bioreactors.

He started Aptus to provide bench top testing equipment, or bioreactors, to researchers seeking a professional and sophisticated product in less time than could be developed internally. These patented, independently controlled systems and processes can re-create the relevant bodily conditions necessary to test cardiovascular devices, replace early-stage animal studies, and promise a scalable manufacturing solution.

Dr. Sierad has extensive experience designing and developing bioreactor systems for decellularizing, seeding, and testing heart valves, blood vessels, and other tissues for regenerative medicine applications. He is the lead author and inventor on several papers and patent applications, many of which have become the core products and services offered by Aptus Bioreactors.

Recently, Dr. Sierad is participating in the development of a bioreactor center at Clemson University, to assist graduate students in the creation and improvement of their own bioreactor systems. As part of a COBRE program funded by the NIH, the bioreactor center is also well-positioned to assist outside universities and companies.

When he is not working on his scientific and engineering endeavors, he enjoys serving in his local church and wrestling with his three boys.

Jake earned his BA in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He has a professional background in research labs, genetics, and cell culturing. As an senior applications scientist at Scientific Bioprocessing, Jake supports new product development and testing and problem solves for each customer’s unique bio-application. Jake is dedicated to improving the science surrounding cell culture and helping customers attain their scientific goals.

Philippe Buhlmann obtained his PhD (1993) from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich based on studies in the fields of host–guest chemistry and optical sensors. He was a postdoctoral fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and subsequently a research associate (1994–2000) at the Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo. After joining the University of Minnesota, he rose through the ranks to become full professor in 2013 and 3M alumni professor in 2017. He became a fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2019 and is associate editor of Analytical Sciences and TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry. Buhlmann has authored more than 150 publications. His research falls at the interface of analytical chemistry and materials sciences. He develops electrochemical sensors, with a particular view to environmental and industrial process monitoring, uses in the clinical chemistry laboratory, and implantation into the human body.

Abhijit Jog has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from NJIT and has worked on Automation Processes for around 30 years. In 1996 he founded Panacea Technologies Inc. an Automation Systems Integrator that specializes in Biotech manufacturing. Abhijit and his company have worked with most major Biotech companies to help them automate their laboratories as well as other manufacturing processes. He is currently the President of Panacea Technologies and has helped develop the OpenBIO platform that is used by various manufactures and labs for their glass, single use and stainless bioreactors. Variants of the OpenBio platform are also currently in testing for feed/harvest control and personalized medicines.