The invention relates to a method for producing blocks of an aqueous gel, comprising: a step of forming a compound by mixing: i. an aqueous substrate; and ii. the gelling agent,a step of drawing off the compound;a step of in-line cooling of the compound so as to bring it below a second temperature at which it gels;a step of transferring to a distribution line;a step of cutting the gelled compound into blocks at the outlet of the distribution line; anda step of distributing the blocks of gel into a farming container immediately after the gel is cut into blocks. Such a method allows blocks of gel to be produced continuously and as required in the context of rearing livestock, in particular rearing insects. The invention also relates to a corresponding device.

A device for spherification of a liquid includes a first device for storing a first liquid; and a spherification tank for storing a second liquid, arranged so that the second liquid defines a level of the second liquid in the spherification tank. A device meters the first liquid coming from the first tank into the spherification tank. An extraction device extracts spheres generated in the spherification tank as a result of the metering. The extraction device includes a worm screw located in the spherification tank, the worm screw being arranged at an angle to the level, and a motor for rotating the worm screw.

Provided herein is a soft tissue mimetic formed from a block copolymer hydrogel and methods of making such. The hydrogel comprises a glass formed from a dry blend of polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide) diblock copolymer (SO) and polystyrene-poly(ethylene oxide)-polystyrene triblock copolymer (SOS) in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 SO/SOS and a liquid medium at a concentration between about 32:1 and about 2:1 liquid medium/SO-SOS by weight. The soft tissue mimetic has a fatigue resistance to at least 500,000 compression cycles.

A method of manufacturing laminate structure including the steps of providing a waveguide structure having a plurality of waveguide cores and including a first surface, creating an oxygen sensing polymer cavity in the first surface of the waveguide structure to receive an oxygen sensing polymer, filling the oxygen sensing polymer cavity with the oxygen sensing polymer and curing the oxygen sensing polymer, adding a first layer material on top of the first surface of the waveguide structure, where the first layer material includes a reaction chamber cavity that is contiguous with the oxygen sensing polymer, filling the reaction chamber cavity with an enzymatic hydrogel and curing the enzymatic hydrogel; adding a second layer material on top of the first layer material, where the second layer material includes a conduit cavity to receive a conduit hydrogel, filling the conduit cavity with a conduit hydrogel and curing the conduit hydrogel, and adding a top cap on top of the second layer of material.

The present invention generally relates to droplets and/or emulsions, such as multiple emulsions. In some cases, the droplets and/or emulsions may be used in assays, and in certain embodiments, the droplet or emulsion may be hardened to form a gel. In some aspects, a heterogeneous assay can be performed using a gel. For example, a droplet may be hardened to form a gel, where the droplet contains a cell, DNA, or other suitable species. The gel may be exposed to a reactant, and the reactant may interact with the gel and/or with the cell, DNA, etc., in some fashion. For example, the reactant may diffuse through the gel, or the hardened particle may liquefy to form a liquid state, allowing the reactant to interact with the cell. As a specific example, DNA contained within a gel particle may be subjected to PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification, e.g., by using PCR primers able to bind to the gel as it forms. As the DNA is amplified using PCR, some of the DNA will be bound to the gel via the PCR primer. After the PCR reaction, unbound DNA may be removed from the gel, e.g., via diffusion or washing. Thus, a gel particle having bound DNA may be formed in one embodiment of the invention.

The present invention generally relates to droplets and/or emulsions, such as multiple emulsions. In some cases, the droplets and/or emulsions may be used in assays, and in certain embodiments, the droplet or emulsion may be hardened to form a gel. In some aspects, a heterogeneous assay can be performed using a gel. For example, a droplet may be hardened to form a gel, where the droplet contains a cell, DNA, or other suitable species. The gel may be exposed to a reactant, and the reactant may interact with the gel and/or with the cell, DNA, etc., in some fashion. For example, the reactant may diffuse through the gel, or the hardened particle may liquefy to form a liquid state, allowing the reactant to interact with the cell. As a specific example, DNA contained within a gel particle may be subjected to PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification, e.g., by using PCR primers able to bind to the gel as it forms. As the DNA is amplified using PCR, some of the DNA will be bound to the gel via the PCR primer. After the PCR reaction, unbound DNA may be removed from the gel, e.g., via diffusion or washing. Thus, a gel particle having bound DNA may be formed in one embodiment of the invention.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a piezoresistive sensor material, including: preparing a wood fiber aerogel; conducting dopamine self-polymerization on the surface of the aerogel to obtain a wood fiber-based hydrogel; soaking the wood fiber-based hydrogel in a nano conductive phase suspension or a nano conductive phase precursor to form a conductive phase-loaded wood fiber-based hydrogel; subjecting the conductive phase-loaded wood fiber-based hydrogel to reaction with an aqueous solution including a polyelectrolyte monomer, a crosslinker, an initiator and a catalyst to form a conductive phase-wood fiber-based hydrogel composite; and complexing the composite with metal ions. The present disclosure further discloses a piezoresistive sensor including the sensor material, and a preparation method thereof. The sensor material prepared by the method of the present disclosure has excellent mechanical strength and ionic conductivity, and a sensor further prepared has extremely-high sensitivity.

Provided is a production method for a gel composition including steps (1) to (3) mentioned below: step (1) of mixing at room temperature a partial degradation product of the galactose moiety of galactoxyloglucan and an aqueous solvent to obtain a mixture; step (2) of cooling or freezing the mixture obtained in step (1); and step (3) of gelling the mixture cooled or frozen in step (2) by heating to obtain a gel composition that includes the galactose-partial degradation product.

There are provided a method for producing a hydrogen gas-containing material in which higher safety than in a production method of the related art is secured and which is simple and has high production efficiency, and a method for producing a hydrogen gas-containing material and a device for producing a hydrogen gas-containing material in which it is possible to prevent nitrogen gas from being mixed into the hydrogen gas-containing material produced by the production method and it is easy to control an amount of hydrogen contained in the hydrogen gas-containing material. As one aspect, there is provided a method for producing a hydrogen gas-containing material including mixing a liquid composition containing a gelling agent or a thickener and a liquid medium with hydrogen gas in a line mixer (20) and cooling the liquid composition containing hydrogen gas in a liquid-transfer pipe (22) connected to the line mixer (20) and causing the liquid composition containing hydrogen gas to gel or thicken.

A method for manufacturing hydrogel particles includes a step of cooling an aqueous solution, in which a gel agent forming a non-crosslinked hydrogel is dissolved, down to a temperature lower than the gel point of the aqueous solution. In the step of cooling, a cooled substance of the aqueous solution is stirred at least at the gel point, and after the gel point has been reached, a stirring energy of 400 kW.Math.s/m.sup.3 or higher is applied to the cooled substance of the aqueous solution with stirring at a required stirring power per unit volume of 0.8 kW/m.sup.3 or higher.