A process of using a fish plasma component in a nutrient medium for cell culture includes obtaining a fish that is a progeny of domesticated broodstock that are reared under consistent and reproducible conditions. Blood is obtained from the fish, and plasma is separated from the blood. One or more specific components of the plasma are then extracted, and cells are cultured in a nutrient medium using the one or more extracted plasma components, and none of any remainder of the plasma. The plasma and/or the plasma components is/are tested for presence and/or level of endotoxin. Extracting the one or more specific components of the plasma, and/or culturing the cells is only performed if the testing indicates an endotoxin level below a predetermined threshold. The cells cultured using the extracted one or more plasma components are other than fish cells.

Structures and methods for tissue engineering include a multicellular body including a plurality of living cells. A plurality of multicellular bodies can be arranged in a pattern and allowed to fuse to form an engineered tissue. The arrangement can include filler bodies including a biocompatible material that resists migration and ingrowth of cells from the multicellular bodies and that is resistant to adherence of cells to it. Three-dimensional constructs can be assembled by printing or otherwise stacking the multicellular bodies and filler bodies such that there is direct contact between adjoining multicellular bodies, suitably along a contact area that has a substantial length. The direct contact between the multicellular bodies promotes efficient and reliable fusion. The increased contact area between adjoining multicellular bodies also promotes efficient and reliable fusion. Methods of producing multicellular bodies having characteristics that facilitate assembly of the three-dimensional constructs are also provided.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a bio-ink by additive deposition, which comprises supplying: a first solution including between 5 and 40 wt. % gelatin; a second solution including between 15 and 35.wt. % alginate; a third solution including between 1 and 15 wt. % fibrinogen, and optionally living cells in suspension; and creating a mixture including: around 35 to 65 vol. % of the first solution; around 15 to 35 vol. % of the second solution; and around 15 to 35 vol. % of the third solution, said proportions being selected so that they add up to 100%. Said bio-ink allows the additive deposition of objects that can be polymerised by means of a solution including calcium ions and thrombin. Said objects can be incubated and can be used as a substitute for body tissue, for example (with added fibroblasts) as skin substitute.

The invention relates to a three-dimensional in vitro alveolar lung model comprising essentially the four cells types as follows: alveolar type II epithelial cells able to secrete (lung laying) surfactant, endothelial cells which forms the inner lining of capillaries providing a permeable barrier, dendritic-like cells, such as non-differentiated THP-1, linking innate and adaptive immunity and macrophage-like cells, able to participate to defense mechanisms by ingesting foreign materials by phagocytosis. The invention also relates to a process for preparing said model, and its use for assessing the irritation potential or toxicity of inhalable products such as particles or molecules on the alveolar barrier of lungs, and also for determining and/or predicting the sensitizing effects of inhalable products such as particles or molecules on the alveolar barrier of lungs.

The present disclosure describes a microfluidic chip for culturing and in vitro testing of 3D organotypic cultures. The tests may be performed directly on the organotypic culture in the microfluidic chip. The microfluidic chip includes at least one microfluidic unit which includes two fluidic compartments, such as upper and lower, separated by a permeable supporting structure, one or more access opening for the fluidic compartments, and a set of lids interchangeable with a set of insets. The permeable support structure serves as a support for the organotypic culture. The upper and lower compartments may include inlets and outlets which allow fluids to be perfused into the lower compartment and fluids to be perfused into the upper compartment. The access opening may be closed with a lid or accommodate an inset.

Cumulus cell (CC) gene expression is being explored as an additional method to morphological scoring to choose the embryo with the highest chance to pregnancy. The present invention relates to a novel method of identifying biomarker genes for evaluating the competence of a mammalian oocyte in giving rise to a viable pregnancy after fertilization, based on the use of live birth and embryonic development as endpoint criteria for the oocytes to be used in an exon level analysis of potential biomarker genes. The invention further provides CC-expressed biomarker genes thus identified, as well as prognostic models based on the biomarker genes identified using the methods of the present invention.

An in vitro microfluidic intestine on-chip is described herein that mimics the structure and at least one function of specific areas of the gastrointestinal system in vivo. In particular, a multicellular, layered, microfluidic intestinal cell culture, which is some embodiments is derived from patient's enteroids-derived cells, is described comprising L cells, allowing for interactions between L cells and gastrointestinal epithelial cells, endothelial cells and immune cells. This in vitro microfluidic system can be used for modeling inflammatory gastrointestinal autoimmune tissue, e.g., diabetes, obesity, intestinal insufficiency and other inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. These multicellular-layered microfluidic intestine on-chips further allow for comparisons between types of gastrointestinal tissues, e.g., small intestinal duodenum, small intestinal jejunum, small intestinal ileum, large intestinal colon, etc., and between disease states of gastrointestinal tissue, i.e. healthy, pre-disease and diseased areas. Additionally, these microfluidic gut-on-chips allow identification of cells and cellular derived factors driving disease states and drug testing for reducing inflammation.

A process and system for efficiently producing reference data that can be fed into a predictive model for predicting quality attribute concentrations in cell culture processes. A perfusion bioreactor is operated at pseudo-steady-state conditions and one or more attribute influencing parameters are manipulated and changed over time. As the one or more attribute influencing parameters are manipulated, one or more quality attributes are monitored and measured. In one embodiment, multiple quality attributes are monitored and measured in parallel. The quality attribute information is recorded in conjunction with the changes in the attribute influencing parameters. This information is then fed to the predictive model for propagating cell cultures in commercial processes and maintaining the cell cultures within desired preset limits.

Methods for derivation, culture, and maturation of small hepatic progenitor cells are described.

The present invention relates to methods for the identification of cell culture factors for cell maintenance and cell conversion