A biological cell preservation or culturing arrangement (20) comprises a chamber defining a fluid retaining space (30) for retaining in use a body of fluid (34) and a deformable membrane (36) in communication with the fluid retaining space, and being manipulable by an electroactive polymer actuator arrangement (38) to undergo a defined topology change to induce in the fluid a pattern of fluid flow by which fluid is exchanged between a sub-region (46) immediately proximal the deformable membrane and a sub-region (48) removed from the deformable membrane.

A cell processing system comprising an enclosure 601, an outer enclosure 701 that envelops the enclosure 601, an intake air purification filter 602 provided in the enclosure 601, that purifies gas that has been drawn in from outside the enclosure 601, a circulating apparatus, inside the outer enclosure 701, that circulates gas inside and outside the enclosure 601 in such a manner that gas in the outer enclosure 701 is drawn into the enclosure 601 through the intake air purification filter 602 and gas inside the enclosure 601 is discharged into the outer enclosure 701, and a cell processing apparatus for processing of cells, disposed inside the enclosure 601.

Ex-vivo culture systems are provided. Accordingly there is provided a culture system comprising a culture medium and a precision-cut tissue slice placed on a tissue culture insert, wherein the precision-cut tissue slice is maintained in a highly oxygenated atmosphere containing at least 50% oxygen and wherein said culture is rotationally agitated facilitating intermittent submersion of the tissue slice in the culture medium. Also provided are methods of culturing a tissue and methods of using the culture system for selecting a drug for the treatment of a disease.

A method and device for standardizing myoblast differentiation into myotubes, including a substrate (1) and at least one cell-adhesive pattern (2) for culturing myoblasts on the substrate. The pattern (2) has an elongated surface. A central region (2C) and two lateral regions (2L) extend from the central region in both directions along a longitudinal axis of the pattern. The ratio between the maximum width (W.sub.C) of the central region (2C) and the maximum width (W.sub.L) of the lateral regions (2L) is greater than or equal to 2. The ratio between the length (L) and the maximum width (W.sub.C) of the pattern (2) is less than or equal to 4. The method includes providing a device as described above, depositing myoblasts on at least one cell-adhesive pattern of the device, culturing the myoblasts in a differentiation medium to promote cell differentiation into myotubes and constrain elongation of the myotubes.

The invention relates to a method for detecting organisms in a liquid sample, comprising the provision of a capture area including particles in a liquid medium and subjected to a hydrodynamic flow, wherein the organisms to be detected are capable of binding to these particles, the method comprising the steps of: (a) circulating the sample through the capture area; (b) circulating a growth medium through the capture area; and (c) determining the presence, nature or concentration of organisms in the capture area; said particles being retained in the capture area as a fluidized bed for at least one part of these steps. The invention also relates to a system for implementing this method.

A cell culture carrier module and a cell culture system having the same are provided. A cell tank and a culture medium module respectively communicate with the carrier module. The carrier module includes a reactor, a first fixer, a second fixer and a plurality of cell culture carriers. The reactor has a chamber and at least one inlet/outlet. The inlet/outlet communicates with the chamber. The first fixer is fixed to the reactor and located in the chamber. The second fixer is disposed in the chamber and is movable relative to the first fixer. Two ends of each cell culture carrier are fixed to the first fixer and the second fixer, respectively. The cell culture carriers are in an untwisted state or a twisted state according to a variation in a distance between the first fixer and the second fixer due to a movement of the second fixer.

Compositions and methods and apparatus for growth and maintenance of microorganisms and/or bioprocesses using one or more gases as electron donors, electron acceptors, carbon sources, or other nutrients, and for a bioprocess that converts hydrogen and carbon dioxide, or syngas, or producer gas into lipid products, bio-based oils, or other biochemical products.

Application of the present invention enables quantification of fractions of candidate pharmaceutical compounds (a parent compound and its metabolites), one excreted to the basolateral (Basal/Basolateral)-side via transporters and by diffusion, one excreted to the lumen (Apical)-side, and one remained in the cells. This enables determination of the total amount of the administered candidate pharmaceutical compounds and the distribution ratio of the fractions. The kinetics of the administered candidate pharmaceutical compounds can be evaluated, thereby enabling in vitro screening of an enormous number of candidate pharmaceutical compounds for drug candidates exhibiting the efficacy. The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for understanding a total picture of pharmacokinetics in vitro by quantifying a fraction of basolateral (Basal/Basolateral) efflux, a fraction of lumen (Apical)-side excretion, and a fraction remaining in a cell of a drug which has been administered to the cell to determine the distribution ratio of each fraction.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for biogas production. The idea is to use the upper section of recovered percolation fluid for moistening the biomass and return the percolation fluid deliberated from the biomass to the bottom section of the fluid reactor.

The method comprises a step for culturing microorganisms and a fermentation step. The apparatus comprises two compartments (5 6), one for each step of the method, and the two are separated by a filtering barrier (8), which allows circulation of the medium to be fermented.