An apparatus for culturing cells includes a bioreactor. The bioreactor may be modular and may include in a chamber a fixed bed, such as an unstructured or structured fixed bed (such as a spiral bed) for culturing cells, with a return column arranged centrally within the chamber. The modular bioreactor may include a plurality of structured fixed bed arranged in a stacked configuration. The modular bioreactor may include an outer casing forming a space for conditioning (e.g., insulating, heating, cooling) at least a chamber in which cells are cultured. The bioreactor may also include an impeller with radially curved blades, and may also suspend the impeller so that it may move from side-to-side and align with an external drive. Related methods are also disclosed.

Disclosed is a photosynthetic culture production device including at least one photo-bioreactor chamber having a supply/discharge unit, and including: an aqueous liquid containing a photosynthetic culture; at least one unit for supplying and discharging fluids from the chamber interacting with a management system; at least one light distributor including at least one first wall arranged so as to receive the light at a proximal end, at least one second wall arranged so as to emit at least part of the received light, and a sealed cavity defined by the at least one first wall and the at least one second wall, part of the emitting wall being immersed in the aqueous liquid containing the photosynthetic culture; at least one fluid partially filling the sealed cavity; and a cover, limiting evaporation. The cover has at least one opening, keeping the at least one light distributor stationary in the chamber.

This disclosure relates to a device for separating regenerative and/or adult stem cells from a fatty tissue taken from a biological structure. In one embodiment, the device includes a container for holding a substance mixture, the substance mixture including the fatty tissue and the regenerative and/or adult stem cells, and the container including at least two chambers separated from each other by at least one membrane. The device additionally includes a substance mixture feeding facility configured to introduce the substance mixture into the container, a rinsing agent feeding facility configured to introduce a fluid into the container, a stem cell removal facility configured to remove separated stem cells from the container, a rinsing agent removal facility configured to remove a substance mixture from the container that has been at least partially depleted of regenerative and/or adult stem cells, and a specifically permeable membrane.

A method for displacing a fluid and simultaneously gas enriching a liquid cell culture medium with a gas. The method includes injecting a controlled volume of a gas or gas mixture into a one chamber by using a gas flow controller, the injection taking place through a gas inlet into a volume of liquid. This injection produces bubbling and agitation of the volume of liquid; a build-up of gas or gas mixture due to buoyancy in a hermetic space formed by the volume of liquid and the chamber, and a pressure increase in the chamber until a sufficient controlled pressure is reached of less than or equal to 10 bar. This increase displaces the volume of liquid by a fluid outlet connecting the volume of liquid to the exterior of the chamber. Also provided are a device implementing the method and a cell culture system in a multi-well culture plate.

We have modified a commercially-available adherent cell culture bioreactor in several ways to increase productivity of cultured cells, while decreasing contamination risk. We found that modifying a commercially-available adherent cell culture bioreactor to provide for slower cell culture medium flow unexpectedly and dramatically increases the productivity of the cultured adherent cells. We also developed a new sampling manifold configuration and new way of taking samples, to reduce contamination risk.

We have modified a commercially-available adherent cell culture bioreactor in several ways to increase productivity of cultured cells, while decreasing contamination risk. We found that modifying a commercially-available adherent cell culture bioreactor to provide for slower cell culture medium flow unexpectedly and dramatically increases the productivity of the cultured adherent cells. We also developed a new sampling manifold configuration and new way of taking samples, to reduce contamination risk.

A tempering device for tempering of biomass contained in a container, including at least one tempering mechanism, and at least one conveying device for conveying a mass flow of biomass in a main flow direction. The at least one conveying device includes at least one agitator, and wherein the at least one tempering mechanism is arranged in the main flow direction generated by the at least one conveying device. The at least one tempering mechanism is tubular with an inner tube and with an outer tube arranged coaxially to the inner tube. The inner tube and the outer tube form an intermediate space through which a tempering medium may flow. The tempering mechanism is oriented relative to the conveying device such that, in operation of the heating device, at least 40% of the delivery volume of the mass flow generated by the conveying device flows through the inner tube.

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, a microfluidic device is described. The microfluidic device includes a reservoir to contain a first thermally expandable fluid, a first heater to heat the thermally expandable fluid in the reservoir, a channel extending from the reservoir and connected to the reservoir at a first opening, and a liquid volume obstructing the channel.

A stem cell manufacturing system for manufacturing stem cells from somatic cells includes: one or more closed production device(s) configured to produce stem cells from somatic cells; one or more drive device(s) configured to be connected with the production device(s) and drive the production device(s) in such a manner as to maintain the production device(s) in an environment suitable for producing stem cells; one or more cryopreservation device(s) configured to cryopreserve the produced stem cells; a first memory device configured to store whether or not somatic cells have been introduced to the production device(s), as a first state; a second memory device configured to store whether or not the production device(s) is/are connected with the drive device(s), as a second state; and a third memory device configured to store whether or not the produced stem cells can be placed in the cryopreservation device(s), as a third state.

A stem cell manufacturing system for manufacturing stem cells from somatic cells includes: one or more closed production device(s) configured to produce stem cells from somatic cells; one or more drive device(s) configured to be connected with the production device(s) and drive the production device(s) in such a manner as to maintain the production device(s) in an environment suitable for producing stem cells; one or more cryopreservation device(s) configured to cryopreserve the produced stem cells; a first memory device configured to store whether or not somatic cells have been introduced to the production device(s), as a first state; a second memory device configured to store whether or not the production device(s) is/are connected with the drive device(s), as a second state; and a third memory device configured to store whether or not the produced stem cells can be placed in the cryopreservation device(s), as a third state.