A microwell array configured for high-throughput screening of micro-tissue and methods of using the same to prepare micro-tissue is disclosed. The microwell array includes a substrate having a plurality of wells, at least one longitudinal recess arranged in the bottom surface of each of the plurality of wells, and at least one micropillar arranged within the longitudinal recess at each end of the longitudinal recess. The microwell array advantageously can provide for high-throughput screening by enabling in vitro generation of three-dimensional micro-tissues that are accurate models of heart, skeletal muscle, neuronal, and other tissues in a device compatible with existing robotic liquid handlers to load cells into the devices, perform routine media changes, and add molecular probes and compounds when desired.

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 cell mass-forming member that is capable of easily forming a cell mass and superior in industrial mass productivity; a culture container equipped with the cell mass-forming member; a method for producing cultured cells using the cell mass-forming member; and cultured cells with a cell mass-forming member that are equipped with the cell mass-forming member. The cell mass-forming member has a base material, an adhesion inhibition area and a cell adhesion area are formed on the surface of the base material; a micro-concavo-convex structure area including a plurality of convex portions is formed in the cell adhesion area; and a hydrophilic coating layer is formed on both the adhesion inhibition area and the cell adhesion area. The culture container and the cultured cells with a cell mass-forming member are equipped with the cell mass-forming member. The method for producing cultured cells includes using the cell mass-forming member.

Various inserts, called shapers and spacers, are provided for controlling tissue engineered heart valve (TEHV) leaflet geometry during culture. These inserts will prevent TEHV leaflet retraction during culture, be able to control the leaflet geometry during culture, enable culturing TEHV leaflets with a larger coaptation area, control the height of the coaptation area, maintain TEHV leaflet curvatures, and/or enable possibilities to culture TEHV leaflets in open configuration.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for use in transducing, activating, and otherwise treating cells. Cells are introduced into an inner layer of a multi-layered stack that defines at least one flow chamber and a plurality of cell entrainment regions. Vertical flow through the stack entrains the cells in the cell entrainment regions along with genetic information introduction agents or other additives, before the cells are washed using a reverse vertical flow and are collected from the device.

Provided is a device for seeding cells in a plurality of cell arrangement areas in a simple manner and a short period of time. A seeding and culturing device (1) for cells capable of forming a nerve network, the device comprising a cell-culturing substrate (2) having a plurality of cell arrangement areas (8) enclosed by a plurality of projecting parts, and a flow channel substrate (3) arranged on the cell-cultivating substrate (2) and having a plurality of through-holes (14), wherein the through-holes (14) are configured so as to provide flow channels in which the upper surface side of the substrate is an entrance (15) and the lower surface side of the substrate is an exit, and the exit (16) of the flow channels is positioned above any of the cell arrangement areas.

A method for culturing suspended photosynthetic organisms is provided, comprising culturing the photosynthetic organism in a flowing thin film photobioreactor, wherein the flowing thin film photobioreactor comprises a light source and a trickle-film insert comprising screen material. In a preferred embodiment, the organism is Rhodobacter grown anaerobically; In an additional preferred embodiment, the organism is Botryococcus braunii.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method that can accelerate reproduction of odor from an air-conditioner by segmenting microorganisms, a temperature/humidity condition and nutrients for metabolism of the microorganisms as conditions for reproducing the odor from the air-conditioner and setting the segmented microorganisms, a temperature/humidity condition and nutrients for metabolism of the microorganisms according to an accelerated condition thereof.

The present invention is related to recycling of fermentable and metabolizable biomass materials for sequentially performing a cultivation of fungal cells and for producing biogas by anaerobic fermentation of said biomass materials.

A method of manufacturing a culture product liquid includes extracting an intermediate-layer bone marrow liquid positioned in an intermediate layer from bone marrow liquid separated in layered fashion and culturing the intermediate-layer bone marrow liquid with a culture liquid. First stem cells are collected from a first culture container when the total area of the first stem cells reaches a first target ratio of the bottom surface area of the first culture container. Second stem cells are cultured together with the culture liquid. The second stem cells are fixed to the bottom surface of a second culture container, and a culture product liquid including a predetermined metabolite secreted from a single type of second stem cells grown from the second culture container is extracted when the total area of the second stem cells reaches a second target ratio of the bottom-surface area of the second culture container.