Biocompatible macroporous microcarriers, including microcarrier beads, microspheres, capsules, microsponges, hydrogels and other matrix forms, appropriate for use in a shaking flask or bioreactor to culture cells are described herein that can be used to create an edible structure for consumption or research investigation. Biocompatible, macroporous microcarriers can be dissolved or remain in the final product. Biocompatible macroporous microcarriers are formed by saccharides that are cross-linked via chemical induction with agitated cryo-gelation. Cross-linked macroporous, saccharide-microcarriers are coupled to adherence factors that enable cell binding. Finally, the cells are attached to the microcarrier for proliferation.

Sub-millimeter scale three-dimensional (3D) structures are disclosed with customizable chemical properties and/or functionality. The 3D structures are referred to as drop-carrier particles. The drop-carrier particles allow the selective association of one solution (i.e., a dispersed phased) with an interior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles, while a second non-miscible solution (i.e., a continuous phase) associates with an exterior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles due to the specific chemical and/or physical properties of the interior and exterior regions of the drop-carrier particles. The combined drop-carrier particle with the dispersed phase contained therein is referred to as a particle-drop. The selective association results in compartmentalization of the dispersed phase solution into sub-microliter-sized volumes contained in the drop-carrier particles. The compartmentalized volumes can be used for single-molecule assays as well as single-cell, and other single-entity assays.

Mineralization occurs during weathering of silicate materials/rocks rich in CA+ and Mg+, particularly peridotite which composes Earth's upper mantle. The carbon mineralization mantle peridotite is the base activated carbon for nanostructured-carbon-base-material. The nanostructured-carbon-base-material using mantle peridotite carbon mineralization based activated carbon nanotubes is a new catalyst for batteries and fuel-cell use that doesn't use precious metal such as platinum and that performs as effectively as many well-known, expensive precious-metal catalysts. The nanostructured-carbon-base-material using mantle peridotite carbon mineralization based activated carbon nanotubes makes possible the creation of economical lithium-air batteries that could power electric vehicles. The carbon nanotubes have useful qualities such as slim, strong, lightweight, high electronic conductivity, has metallic/semiconductive properties that are useful in (1) electronics i.e. wiring, transistor; (2) material that reinforced resin/metal; (3) energy source i.e. catalysis support, ion adsorption, capacitors; (4) nanotechnology i.e. nanostructure; and (5) biotechnology i.e. cell cultivating, drug delivery system, biosensor.

A method for forming microcarriers includes forming liquid drops from a sol-gel solution; depositing the drops in the form of a liquid on a first, preferably hydrophobic support; deforming the drops deposited on the first support; solidifying the drops by gelling and drying, so as to form solid microcarriers; and extracting the solidified microcarriers from the first support.

The invention relates to improved methods for culturing an epithelial stem cell or an organoid comprising epithelial stem cells. The invention also relates to culture media suitable for use with said methods, organoids obtainable or obtained by said methods and uses of said culture methods, media and organoids in drug discovery and validation, toxicity assays, diagnostics and therapy.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing microbeads comprising nanofibrillar cellulose, the method comprising providing a dispersion of chemically anionically modified nanofibrillar cellulose having a number-average diameter of 200 nm or less, forming the nanofibrillar cellulose into microbeads, to obtain microbeads comprising chemically anionically modified nanofibrillar cellulose in the range of 0.2-2% by weight. The present disclosure also provides the microbeads, a cell culture, a method for providing cell-derived products, use of the microbeads and use of chemically anionically modified nanofibrillar cellulose for preparing the microbeads.

A method for micro-tissue encapsulation of cells includes coating a tissue scaffold stamp with an extracellular matrix compound; depositing the tissue scaffold stamp onto a thermoresponsive substrate; seeding the tissue scaffold stamp with a cell culture; incubating the cell culture on the tissue scaffold stamp at a temperature that is specified, wherein the cell culture forms a cell patch that is attached to the extracellular matrix compound; removing the thermoresponsive substrate by lowering the temperature; removing the tissue scaffold stamp from the cell patch to form a micro-tissue structure by dissolving the tissue scaffold stamp in a solvent; folding the micro-tissue structure by suspending the micro-tissue in the solvent to enable the cell patch to fold the micro-tissue structure; collecting the folded micro-tissue structure from the solvent; and administering the folded micro-tissue structure to an organism.

Provided herein is a method for preparing microcarrier particles, comprising the steps of allowing the dispersed phase liquid flow through a multi-hole plate at a low temperature to form liquid microspheres in a continuous phase, and enabling a synthetic polymer and/or natural biological macromolecules within the liquid microspheres to be subject to a curing reaction at a low temperature to form particles. Further provided herein are the method for preparing an emulsion and an apparatus and process system for preparing microcarrier particles, which can be used for preparing emulsions and microcarrier particles on a large scale.

A modular engineered tissue construct includes a plurality of fused self-assembled, scaffold-free, high-density cell aggregates. At least one cell aggregate includes a plurality of cells and a plurality of biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles and/or microparticles that are incorporated within the cell aggregates. The nanoparticles and/or microparticles acting as a bulking agent within the cell aggregate to increase the cell aggregate size and/or thickness and improve the mechanical properties of the cell aggregate as well as to deliver bioactive agents.

A method of vascularising a cell aggregate on a microfluidic device, microfluidic cell culture devices comprising perfusable vascular networks and kits and assays using the microfluidic cell culture devices are described. The microfluidic devices comprise one or more capillary pressure barriers allowing for formation of an extracellular matrix gel within a confined area of the network, in which cells can be cultured for different uses.