Disclosed is a novel means which enables satisfactory preservation of embryos and fertilized eggs in the non-frozen state for a longer period than conventional means, which novel means also achieves high hatching ability and a high conception rate of the embryos after the preservation. The method for preserving a mammalian embryo(s) or fertilized egg(s) of the present invention comprises immersing a mammalian embryo(s) or fertilized egg(s) in a medium containing 20 to 80% (v/v) serum and 10 to 100 mM Good's buffer, and storing the embryo(s) or fertilized egg(s) at non-freezing low temperature. The preservative solution for a mammalian embryo(s) or fertilized egg(s) of the present invention essentially consists of a medium containing 20 to 80% (v/v) serum and 10 to 100 mM Good's buffer. The Good's buffer is preferably HEPES.

A system and method for sorting sperm is provided. The system includes a housing and a microfluidic system supported by the housing. The system also includes an inlet providing access to the microfluidic system to deliver sperm to the microfluidic system and an outlet providing access to the microfluidic system to harvest sorted sperm from the microfluidic system. The microfluidic system provides a flow path for sperm from the inlet to the outlet and includes at least one channel extending from the inlet to the outlet to allow sperm delivered to the microfluidic system through the inlet to progress along the flow path toward the outlet. The microfluidic system also includes a filter including a first plurality of micropores arranged in the flow path between the inlet and the outlet to cause sperm traveling along the flow path to move against through the filter and gravity to reach the outlet.

A sample holder includes a slide, containing a depression in a surface of the slide. A cover slip is fixed to the slide over the depression so as to define a sample chamber, while leaving a loading area of the depression uncovered, so that a liquid sample deposited in the loading area is drawn into the sample chamber by capillary action.

An apparatus for embryo biopsy is provided. The apparatus includes an enclosure and an incubation unit which is disposed in the enclosure and which is configured to incubate an embryo. The apparatus further includes an embryo manipulator setup which is disposed in the enclosure and which is configured to rotate the embryo. The apparatus further includes an embryo image capturing mechanism which is disposed in the enclosure and which is configured to capture an image of the embryo in the incubation unit so as to monitor the morphology of the embryo to determine a development stage of the embryo in the incubation unit. The embryo manipulator setup is further configured to be activated to rotate the embryo to a predetermined orientation based on a determination that the embryo is at a predetermined development stage.

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a control unit. The control unit detects, on a basis of an optical image of a cell in culture captured at a first imaging interval, whether there is a change in a state of the cell, and switches, when detecting the change in the state, an imaging mode from the first imaging interval to a second imaging interval shorter than the first imaging interval.

[Solving Means] An apparatus includes: an accommodation unit capable of accommodating a cell and liquid; and a rotation unit that produces a flow in the liquid in the accommodation unit to rotate the cell. The apparatus further includes a rotation controller unit that detects a rotation amount input from an input device, and controls the flow of the liquid produced by each of the output ports on a basis of the input rotation amount to control a rotation amount of the cell.

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a first extraction unit, a second extraction unit, and a comparison unit. The first extraction unit extracts, from observation data of a cell before transfer, a first feature quantity of the cell before transfer. The second extraction unit extracts, from observation data of a cell after transfer, a second feature quantity of the cell after transfer. The comparison unit compares the extracted first feature quantity and the extracted second feature quantity with each other.

Disclosed are a software for analyzing images of a fertilized egg, the software providing a means for executing a process including: (a) a step of measuring the difference in area between the female pronucleus and the male pronucleus from images of a fertilized egg obtained in a period of 1 to 10 hours before the time of occurrence of male and female pronuclear membrane breakdown as a reference; (b) a step of measuring the difference in are between the female pronucleus and the male pronucleus from images of the fertilized egg obtained immediately before the time of occurrence of male and female pronuclear membrane breakdown as the reference; and (c) a step of storing the measured values of the area difference obtained in the step (a) and the area difference obtained in the step (b), to be readable at any time as needed, and an apparatus incorporating this software.

A vessel is provided for cryopreservation by vitrification for use in the cryopreservation by vitrification of cells or embryos. The cells or embryos are retained by a retaining part of the vessel and has recesses on the retaining part to store the cells or embryos therein. The vessel for cryopreservation by vitrification in a liquid cryogen has holes in the walls which make up the recesses which do not allow the cells or embryos to pass through the walls, but which do allow vitrification solution to pass therethrough. A kit is also provided which includes the vessel and a tube for storing the vessel. A method for cryopreservation by vitrification in a liquid cryogen is also provided.

A robotic microfluidic incubator system has a thin transparent sidewall and close proximity of the embryo/oocyte/cultured cells to the sidewall allow close approach of a side view microscope with adequate focal length for mid to high power. This arrangement permits microscopic examination of multiple culture wells when arranged in rows (linear or along the circumference of a carousel). Manual or automated side to side movement of the linear well row, or rotation of the carousel, allows rapid inspection of the contents each well. Automated systems with video capability also allow remote inspection of wells by video connection or Internet connection, and automated video systems can record oft-hours inspections or time lapse development in culture (i.e. embryo cell division progression, or axon growth in neuron cell cultures).