The presently disclosed subject matter relates to compositions and methods useful for assessing fertilization competency in male and female gametes. In some embodiments, methods, kits, and compositions for identifying, selecting, and functionally evaluating fertilization competent sperm cells are provided, wherein the methods, kits, and compositions employ a reagent that selectively binds phosphatidylserine (PS).

The disclosure relates to double stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNAi) agents and compositions targeting a Huntingtin (HTT) gene, e.g., exon 1 of an HTT gene, as well as methods of inhibiting expression of an HTT gene and methods of treating subjects having an HTT-associated disease or disorder, e.g., Huntington's disease, using such dsRNAi agents and compositions.

Disclosed is a method for culturing urine-derived kidney stem cells, which belongs to the field of cell biology. The method comprises the following steps: isolating cells from the urine, and then culturing the cells with a culture medium of urine-derived kidney stem cells on feeder cells to obtain the urine-derived kidney stem cells, wherein the feeder cells are fibroblasts, and the culture medium of urine-derived kidney stem cells contains 200-300 mL of DMEM medium, 200-300 mL of F12 medium, 20-70 mL of fetal bovine serum, 0.2-2 mM of L-glutamine, 1-14 ng/mL of insulin, 0.1-1 ng/mL of epidermal growth factor, 5-30 μg/mL of adenine, and 2-20 μg/mL of hydrocortisone. By using the method, kidney stem cells with high proliferation capacity and specificity can be obtained and applied, and thus the regenerative outcome of the kidney tissue after injury can be improved.

The present disclosure provides systems for growing and, modeling lung cells in organoid cultures and methods of using same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently producing a heparin-like substance without using an animal-derived tissue. The present invention relates to a method for producing a heparin-like substance and the like, the method comprising: (1) preparing a mammalian cell that produces a heparin-like substance, (2) preparing a recombinant cell in which a gene that encodes an extracellular domain of syndecan is introduced into the mammalian cell that produces a heparin-like substance and is prepared in step (1), and (3) culturing the recombinant cell prepared in step (2) in a medium and collecting the heparin-like substance from the resulting culture supernatant.

Provided is a method for isolating a ureteric bud tip cell from cells, a tissue, or an organoid comprising the ureteric bud tip cell, comprising the following steps of contacting the cells, tissue, or organoid comprising the ureteric bud tip cell with a very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDL-R) binding agent, and isolating the ureteric bud tip cell using the binding agent as an indicator.

Well-defined, xeno-free culture media which comprise a TGF-beta isoform or the chimera formed between IL6 and the soluble IL6 receptor (IL6RIL6), which are capable of maintaining stem cells, and particularly, human embryonic stem cells, in an undifferentiated state are provided. Also provided are cell cultures comprising the culture media and the stem cells and methods of expanding and deriving embryonic stem cells in such well-defined, xeno-free culture media. In addition, the present invention provides methods of differentiating ESCs or EBs formed therefrom for the generation of lineage specific cells.

Photosensitive cardiac rhythm modulation structures and systems are described. A genetically-engineered tissue comprising a population of pacing cells expressing a photosensitive membrane transport mechanism that is responsive to light of a particular wavelength(s) combined with one or more of a light source, a power generator, and a sensor provides pacemaker and/or defibrillator function to a subject. The systems further provide in vitro model systems for electrophysiological studies.

A microfluidic chip orients and isolates components in a sample fluid mixture by two step focusing, where sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a sample input channel in one direction, such that the sample fluid mixture becomes a narrower stream bounded by the sheath fluids, and by having the sheath fluids compress the sample fluid mixture in a second direction further downstream, such that the components are compressed and oriented in a selected direction to pass through an interrogation chamber in single file formation for identification and separation by various methods. The isolation mechanism utilizes external, stacked piezoelectric actuator assemblies disposed on a microfluidic chip holder, or piezoelectric actuator assemblies on-chip, so that the actuator assemblies are triggered by an electronic signal to actuate jet chambers on either side of the sample input channel, to jet selected components in the sample input channel into one of the output channels.

Disclosed is a method for production of a fusion protein in which an antibody and a lysosomal enzyme are fused. The method comprises; (a) a step of culturing mammalian cells producing the fusion protein in a serum-free medium to let the mammalian cells secrete the fusion protein in the culture medium, (b) a step of collecting culture supernatant by removing the mammalian cells from the culture medium, and (c) a step of purifying the fusion protein from the culture supernatant by using a column chromatography employing as a solid phase a material to which a substance having affinity for the fusion protein has been bound, a column chromatography employing as a solid phase a material having affinity for the phosphate group, and a size exclusion column chromatography.