Provided are a protein-coated culture container for classifying, identifying, or specifying mesenchymal stem cells by controlling cell adhesion; and a method of classifying, identifying, or specifying mesenchymal stem cells by using the container.

A system and method for printing cells in a medium. A multi-dimensional printer, stably constructed of low-mass parts, can include a computer numerically controlled system that can enable motors driving delivery systems. The motors can include encoders that can enable achieving arbitrary resolution. The motors can drive ballscrews to enable linear motion of delivery systems, and the delivery systems can enable printing of a biological material in a pre-selected pattern in a petri dish. The petri dish can accommodate a medium such as a gel, and can further accommodate a vision system that can detect actual position and deflection of the delivery system needle. The printer can accommodate multiple delivery systems and therefore multiple needles of various sizes.

A cell culture module, a cell culture system and a cell culture method are provided. The cell culture module includes a casing, a first fixer, a second fixer and a sheet-shaped carrier member. The casing has a chamber and at least one inlet/outlet. The inlet/outlet communicates with the chamber. The first fixer is fixed to the casing and located in the chamber. The second fixer is disposed in the chamber and is movable relative to the first fixer. The sheet-shaped carrier member is formed by arranging a plurality of cell culture carriers, and two opposite ends of the sheet-shaped carrier member are respectively fixed to the first fixer and the second fixer. The sheet-shaped carrier member is in an open state or a folded state according to a variation in a distance between the first fixer and the second fixer due to a movement of the second fixer.

Using 3D printing, a microwell is formed by providing a plurality of masks, each mask representing a cross-section of a layer of the concave structure. Progressive movement of a projection plane exposes a pre-polymer solution to polymerizing radiation modulated by the masks to define the layers of the microwell, where each layer is exposed for a non-equal exposure period as determined by a non-linear factor. In a preferred embodiment, a first portion of the masks are base layer masks, which are exposed for a longer period than subsequent exposure periods. Shapes of the microwells, which may include circular, square, annular, or other geometric shapes, and their depths, are selected to promote aggregation behavior in the target cells, which may include tumor cells and stem cells.

An artificial cornea is fabricated by separately culturing live stromal cells, live corneal endothelial cells (CECs) and live corneal epithelial cells (CEpCs), and 3D bioprinting separate stromal, CEC and CEpC layers to encapsulate the cells into separate hydrogel nanomeshes. The CEC layer is attached to a first side of the stromal layer and the CEpC layer to a second side of the stromal layer to define the artificial cornea.

A method for cultivating at least one microorganism of interest, by heterotrophism or mixotrophism, in an aqueous culture medium, contaminating microorganisms developing naturally in the culture medium. A portion of the culture medium with the microorganism of interest and the contaminating microorganisms is sampled. The microorganism of interest and the contaminating microorganisms in the portion of culture medium is physically separated. The contaminating microorganisms thus separated is lysed to produce a lysate. The lysate is reintroduced into the culture medium.

The invention provides a device for growing cells—referred to as a cassette. The cell culturing device includes a housing that contains a lid having an optically clear window; a fluid distribution channel; a sample injection port fluidically connected to the fluid distribution channel; a base housing a porous media pad; and a media injection port fluidically connected to the media pad. The lid mates to the base to form a sterile seal; the fluid distribution channel is disposed over the media pad, which is viewable through the optical window; and sample fluid introduced into the fluid distribution channel is distributed evenly to the media pad, e.g., via a plurality of channels. The invention also provides kits that include cassettes of the invention and a tube set.

Apparatus for single cell patterning, the apparatus comprising: a structure comprising a surface channel formed therein, the surface channel being connected to an inlet and an outlet; and a cell trap disposed in the surface channel, the cell trap comprising a body defining a flow diverter for diverting flow passing by the cell trap into a wide path or a narrow path, and the body and the structure together defining a well for capturing a cell diverted by the flow diverter toward the narrow path.

In the present invention, a photobioreactor and process for producing and harvesting microalgae involves a vessel for cultivating microalgae that is at least partially transparent to admit light into the vessel. At least a portion of the transparent part of the vessel is coated with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer. The TCO layer is transparent to visible light necessary for algae growth, but is opaque to infrared light thereby reducing thermal heating load in the photobioreactor. The TCO layer also acts as an electrode, which when combined with a counter-electrode can provide a potential difference across at least a portion of the interior of the vessel between the TCO layer and the counter-electrode. The electrode arrangement can be utilized in an electrochemical process (e.g. electrodeposition and/or electroflotation) to dewater and harvest the microalgae in the same apparatus as the microalgae was cultivated.

The invention relates to medicine and biology, particularly to the means for artificial manufacturing of biological tissues and organs, and can be used in biotechnology, bioengineering, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and in the 3D-printing of biological tissues and organs. Technical character of the invention consists in the development of a method of printing living tissues and organs as well as of the apparatus for its implementation. The proposed apparatus consists of at least: a printing platform, a bioink printing module with at least one nozzle designed for bioink dosing, a gel-forming composition printing module, containing a UV-module, and at least one nozzle capable of dosing gel-forming composition that starts polymerizing under the influence of UV radiation, a module for relatively displacing the nozzles and/or the platform, and in which the bioink printing module is separated from the gel-forming-composition printing module in such a way so as to prevent UV radiation from reaching the bioink printing module, the radiation from the UV module being directed predominantly parallel to the platform for printing, in such a way so as to prevent UV radiation from reaching the biological tissues and/or organs being printed. The technical result of the invention is the development of a multi-functional device capable of combining various printing modes, providing a method of high-resolution printing of living tissues and organs based on UV-induced hydrogel polymerization, and a method of cell protection from UV radiation during the printing process.