Ronawk using stem cell tech developed at Olathe lab to advance liver cancer research in Turkey
October 5, 2021 | Startland News Staff
A Kansas City-based biomanufacturing startup announced its first international customer Tuesday: a university team in Istanbul that was among the first to beta test Ronawk’s lauded T-Blocks.
The maker of 3D cell culture products said the collaboration with Professor Ranan Aktas and the Cancer and Stem Cell Research Center at Maltepe University in Turkey will help researchers to better understand cancer development across different environmental conditions using T-Blocks.
“We love working with Professor Aktas’ group and their thoughtful feedback,” said Heather Decker, CTO and co-founder of Ronawk. “We cannot wait to see how the T-Blocks will continue to help and accelerate their research for cancer patients.”
Click here to learn why Ronawk was named one of Startland News’ 2021 Kansas City Startups to Watch.
Ronawk spun out of the University of Kansas’ Department of Plastic Surgery (KUMC) and the Bioengineering Graduate Program in 2019, gained its own manufacturing facility in 2020, and now is making an impact with researchers in 2021, emphasized A.J. Mellott, CEO and co-founder of the startup. Operating from a lab in Olathe, Ronawk was selected this summer for MassChallenge’s 50th accelerator program.
The T-Blocks product has been recognized as one of the “Coolest Things Made in Kansas” for the past two years by the Kansas Manufacturing Council, an affiliate program of the Kansas Chamber.
Aktas’ group was among 30 pilot studies across the globe that sought to use Ronawk’s bioprinting technologies to develop products that simplify and modernize cell culture practices to accelerate research across virtually all disease specialties. The follow-up purchase of T-Blocks for current and future studies by Maltepe University is a major milestone for Ronawk, Mellott added.
T-Blocks in 6-well plate; image courtesy of Ronawk
T-Blocks (Tissue-Blocks) enable researchers to rapidly expand growth of cells — up to one trillion at a time.
“T-blocks have provided an excellent opportunity to investigate the effects of the change in the stiffness of the microenvironment on liver cancer cells and cancer stemness,” said Aktas, describing her team’s interest in the technology. “We will present our first data during the Liver Meeting in Boston and continue creating different micro-environments using T-blocks with various stiffness. We already learned a lot from T- blocks and would love to gather more information using those well-designed 3D scaffolds.”
Click here to read more about the Olathe startup and it’s plan to launch a STEM training facility and create 150 jobs over next seven years.
This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.
For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Early childhood isn’t a money maker, but can be a money breaker: ECJC initiative links lack of child care to business’ bottom lines
Access to safe and affordable child care is an issue that should concern everyone, Judy Bumpus acknowledged. Research indicates the current capacity to provide child care within the Kansas City metro is only 45 percent, according to the director of client services for the Kansas City Women’s Business Center, with 80,000 children still needing childcare…
KC Black Owned’s fall summit returns this weekend with corporate backing, tools for Black entrepreneurs
A summit planned for Saturday at the Kansas City Convention Center aims to inspire Black business owners and equip them with the resources, strategies, and connections needed to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. The Global Strategies Summit for Market Innovators — organized by KC Black Owned — is deeply rooted in its founder’s drive to…
This Midtown pizza shop sliced through challenges, topping years of popup work with grand opening
Orange By: Devoured — the flagship pizza shop from Jhy Coulter — is finally ready for the public, she said, after enduring years of pop-ups to keep the dream alive, renovations, and the closure of business lending platform Mainvest that took founders by surprise. “I am tired — I’m exhausted,” Coulter said with a laugh,…
Exited founders: Face the tough conversations first; avoid a messy post-honeymoon breakup
Preparing for an exit begins with co-founder alignment at the startup’s launch, three veteran Kansas City founders agreed. “You are getting married to your founders,” explained Tony Caudill, who co-founded two tech startups with his best friend — including aware3, which was acquired in 2018 by Nelnet. “Just like when you find your mate of…