Systems and methods for conducting designated reactions utilizing a base instrument and a removable cartridge. The removable cartridge includes a fluidic network that receives and fluidically directs a biological sample to conduct the designated reactions. The removable cartridge also includes a flow-control valve that is operably coupled to the fluidic network and is movable relative to the fluidic network to control flow of the biological sample therethrough. The removable cartridge is configured to separably engage a base instrument. The base instrument includes a valve actuator that engages the flow-control valve of the removable cartridge. A detection assembly held by at least one of the removable cartridge or the base instrument may be used to detect the designated reactions.

Microfluidic device comprising at least one cell culture unit for forming, culturing, growing and/or maintaining a 3D tissue structure such as a 3D strip of cardiac tissue, wherein the at least one cell culture unit comprises: a respective culture chamber for culturing cells having a chamber outlet opening; and a cell supply channel arranged to guide a microfluidic flow of liquid holding cells between a channel inlet and a channel outlet, wherein the cell supply channel is provided with a flow inhibitor which is operable to selectively provide a flow inhibiting state or a flow permitting state depending on a fluid pressure at the flow inhibitor, wherein, in the flow inhibiting state, the flow inhibitor is configured to substantially inhibit liquid flow between the cell supply channel and the culture chamber, wherein, in the flow permitting state, the flow inhibitor is configured to permit such liquid flow such that the cell supply channel is in liquid communication with the culture chamber to supply the culture chamber with cells, wherein the culture chamber is provided with at least two mutually spaced apart elastic support structures which extend in the culture chamber and which are configured for elastically supporting a tissue formed in the culture chamber, in particular a cultured 3D tissue formed from the cells, wherein the elastic support structures are elastically deformable, in particular flexible, in particular to vary a mutual distance of said support structures under influence of a varying contraction force between said support structures.

A microfluidic chip includes a functional area, which is covered by a flexible or deformable cover. The cover has an expansion limiter. This expansion limiter can for example be embodied as a stable plate including one or more than one opening. The expansion limiter may be fixedly connected to the cover.

Systems and related temperature calibration methods. In accordance with a first implementation, an apparatus includes a flow cell interface, a temperature control device, an infrared sensor, and a controller. The flow cell interface includes a flow cell support and the temperature control device is for the flow cell support. The controller is to command the temperature control device to cause the flow cell support to achieve a temperature value, cause the infrared sensor to measure an actual temperature value of the flow cell support, and calibrate the temperature control device based on a difference between the commanded temperature value and the actual temperature value.

Provided herein are examples of mRNA treatment nanoparticles and methods of using them to treat a patient. An mRNA treatment nanoparticle may include one or more mRNAs encoding a tumor-specific antigen and an immunomodulatory agent; and a delivery vehicle molecule encapsulating the one or more mRNAs.

Reagent reservoirs and related systems and methods are disclosed. In accordance with a first implementation, an apparatus includes a system and a reagent reservoir. The system includes a reagent reservoir receptacle. The reagent reservoir is received within the reagent reservoir receptacle and has a body and a fluidic port. The body defines a storage chamber, a sipper chamber, and a fluidic sinus fluidly coupling the storage chamber and the sipper chamber. The fluidic port is fluidly coupled to the sipper chamber.

The microfluidic devices and systems disclosed herein reduce sample loss and help decrease sample processing bottlenecks for applications such as next generation sequencing (NGS). The microfluidic devices include a plurality of reaction modules. Each reaction module may comprise one or more reaction circuits. Each reaction circuit may comprise a single reaction flow channel with each reaction circuit connected by a bridge flow channel. Alternatively, each reaction circuit may comprise two or more reaction flow channels connected by two or more bridge flow channels. The combination of any two bridge flow channels and a portion of the two or more reaction flow channels between the any two bridge flow channels defining may define the reaction circuit. The reaction module may be arranged as nodes connected by bridge flow channels or each reaction module may be arranged in a parallel fashion on the microfluidic device.

An apparatus for patterning biological cells, and a method of patterning and coculturing biological cells using the apparatus. The apparatus includes a fluidic structure having an outlet and a plurality of inlets, the fluidic structure is arranged to facilitate a flow of a plurality of different cells in a cell suspension therethrough, wherein each of the plurality of inlets is arranged to facilitate a loading of the plurality of different cells from a plurality of supplies into the fluidic structure; and a flow controlling device arranged to control the flow of the plurality of different cells through the fluidic structure and/or the loading of the plurality of different cells from the plurality of supplies through the plurality of inlets; wherein the fluidic structure is further arranged to facilitate a simultaneous observation of the plurality of different cells arranged in a predetermined pattern in the fluidic structure.

The invention discloses a microfluidic device for the culture, selection and/or analysis of sample organisms such as nematodes, as well as for other biological entities such as for instance animal embryos. The device features reservoirs, culture chambers and smart filtering systems allowing for the selection of specific populations/specimens of sample organisms, thus permitting long-term cultures thereof as well as phenotypic/behavioural analyses. Systems and methods for using the microfluidic device are within the present disclosure as well.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a fluid handling system that is capable of injecting a fluid into a desired chip or the like without using a large-scale device. In order to resolve the problem, this fluid handling system has a reservoir, a flow path chip, and a cap, one end of which is fitted to the internal opening of the reservoir and the other end of which is connected to an introduction port of the flow path chip, the cap having a through-hole that links the one end and the other end. In this fluid handling system, a protruding part provided to the flow path chip is fitted into the through-hole at the other end of the cap and restricts blocking of the through-hole when a fluid moves inside the through-hole of the cap.