Closed disposable seeding systems with improved seeding chambers permitting uniform seeding of a scaffold or graft with patient's cells are provided. The seeding chambers with a variable width along the length of the chamber, or a minimal gap between the scaffold and chamber wall, provide an improvement of the prior seeding chambers of closed disposable seeding systems by providing faster and more efficient and uniform seeding of the grafts and scaffolds. Also described are scaffolds with biomechanical and structural properties permitting spontaneous reversal of stenosis and neotissue formation as the graft degrades yielding a scaffold-free neovessel.

Disclosed are a biomimic system simulating lung tissue, a method for manufacturing same, and a microfluidic control method using same, wherein the biomimic system comprises lung epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts, which are isolated from human lungs, and commercially available vascular endothelial cells, and wherein a microfluid flows through the biomimic system. Each chamber inside the corresponding system can allow a fluid, which contains gas and a medium, to flow therethrough and simulate respiration-like movement, wherein all of the three types of cells can survive inside the system even when one week or more have elapsed after through-flow of the fluid. In addition, the pH and pO.sub.2 in the chamber can be monitored by using a pH sensor and a gas partial pressure sensor inside the system, and thus the three types of cells inside the system can be exposed to external environments, drugs, and the like under the same conditions as in the lungs in vivo. Therefore, a wide range of studies including modeling of lung diseases by harmful substances and testing of therapeutic drug efficacy can be conducted, and further, the utilization to in vitro disease modeling, customized medicine prescriptions, and the like can also be made.

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.

Systems and methods generating physiologic models that can produce functional biological substances are provided. In some aspects, a system includes a substrate and a first and second channel formed therein. The channels extend longitudinally and are substantially parallel to each other. A series of apertures extend between the first channel and second channel to create a fluid communication path passing through columns separating the channels that extends further along the longitudinal dimension than other dimensions. The system also includes a first source configured to selectively introduce into the first channel a first biological composition at a first channel flow rate and a second source configured to selectively introduce into the second channel a second biological composition at a second channel flow rate, wherein the first channel flow rate and the second channel flow rate create a differential configured to generate physiological shear rates within a predetermined range in the channels.

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.

A bioreactor for culturing of cells is described. Screens suitable as a cell growth scaffold may comprise crossed fibers. Screens may be contained loosely in a screen holder, which in turn may be contained inside a manifold assembly. A lower manifold, screen holder and upper manifold may have identical or similar interior open cross-sections. Flow of liquid medium can occur upwardly through the array of screens, then flowing over a weir in the presence of an air pocket, and into a moat and a pump. The screen holder may have slots whose exterior-facing ligaments are rounded, and may have grooves whose interior-facing edges are rounded. These components may be located inside an incubator suitable to maintain desired environmental conditions and cleanliness.

In some embodiments, an engineered tissue construct (ETC) transport and containment method is provided and includes storing a bioreactor and an ETC contained therein within a transport package via an opening in the package, and sealing the opening. Some embodiments are also directed at methods for sterilizing packaging and bioreactors contained therein.

Provided are engineered meat products formed as a plurality of at least partially fused layers, wherein each layer comprises at least partially fused multicellular bodies comprising non-human myocytes and wherein the engineered meat is comestible. Also provided are multicellular bodies comprising a plurality of non-human myocytes that are adhered and/or cohered to one another; wherein the multicellular bodies are arranged adjacently on a nutrient-permeable support substrate and maintained in culture to allow the multicellular bodies to at least partially fuse to form a substantially planar layer for use in formation of engineered meat. Further described herein are methods of forming engineered meat utilizing said layers.

In various embodiments a culture platform for cultivating tissue is provided, comprising: a first component (2) comprising at least one culture chamber (21) formed therein, the culture chamber (21) comprising a bottom (23), a sidewall and an open top (22); and a second component (2) comprising a base (31) and at least one pair of posts (32) extending from the base (31); wherein the first component (2) and the second component (3) are sized and configured to be mated with one another such that when the second component (3) is placed on the first component (2), the at least one pair of posts (32) is inserted into the at least one culture chamber (21). Furthermore, a method for observing tissue cultivated therein is provided.

The present invention relates to a process for the production of in vitro engineered tissues, also known in the art as cultured meat, cultivated meat, cell based meat, cellular meat and/or clean meat, and a device for the production of the same. The process comprises the steps of: loading sterilizable 3D scaffolds into a seeding chamber, sterilization of the scaffolds in the seeding chamber, seeding the scaffolds by loading a first volume of culture medium into the seeding chamber, wherein the first volume of culture medium has a density of cells in suspension of 5,000 to 25,000 cell/cm.sup.2, more preferably from 10,000 to 16,000 cm.sup.2 such that the scaffolds are immersed in the culture medium, leaving the scaffolds and the first volume of culture medium in the seeding chamber for a period of 2-24 hours at 18-37° C., loading a second volume of culture medium into a bioreactor, the second volume being greater than the first volume of the culture medium wherein an incubation position of one or more movable grids inside the bioreactor confines the scaffolds to the second volume of the culture medium such that they remain immersed during an incubation step, wherein the scaffolds and the second volume of culture medium are incubated in the bioreactor for a period of 10-60 days at 18-37° C. and at a pH between 6.5-8.0, more preferably 7.0-7.4. The invention also relates to a device for the production of cultured meat.