The present invention aims to provide a device for cryopreservation which enables easy and reliable cryopreservation of a cell or tissue. The device for cryopreservation of a cell or tissue of the present invention includes a deposition part on which a cell or tissue is to be deposited together with a preservation solution, wherein a surface of the deposition part includes a protrusion for holding a cell or tissue and a recess for storing a preservation solution.

Provided herein are floating hydrogel droplet culture methods that enable scaling of stem cell derived alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) expansion to numbers compatible with large animal or human whole lung engineering, as well as molds for generating the droplets and methods of use thereof.

A device for simulating a function of a tissue includes a first structure, a second structure, and a membrane. The first structure defines a first chamber. The first chamber includes a matrix disposed therein and an opened region. The second structure defines a second chamber. The membrane is located at an interface region between the first chamber and the second chamber. The membrane includes a first side facing toward the first chamber and a second side facing toward the second chamber. The membrane separates the first chamber from the second chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a 3D bioprinter (1) comprising a base unit (2). The base unit (2) has a support (3) adapted for mounting of at least one toolhead (4), a communication interface part (5) for communication of data with the at least one toolhead (4), when mounted, and a base unit processing element (7) adapted to communicate with a toolhead processing element (8) of the at least one toolhead over said communication interface part (5). The present disclosure relates further to a 3D bioprinter toolhead. The present disclosure relates further to a method for bioprinting a construct.

The invention provides a construct (1) comprising a number N of material types (100, 110, . . . ), wherein N is at least 2, wherein at least two of the material types (100, 110, . . . ) comprise granular material (101) comprising particles (10), wherein the granular material (101) at least defines an exterior surface (6) of the construct (1), wherein the construct (1) is self-supporting, and wherein the construct (1) is (i) self-healing or is (ii) configured for being self-healing by changing a liquid (15) content of the construct (1); wherein the different material types (100, 110, . . . ) mutually differ in at least one characteristic (19) selected from the group consisting of a physical characteristic and a chemical characteristic.

Systems, apparatus and methods for producing objects with cryogenic 3D printing with controllable micro and macrostructure with potential applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and the food industry. The technology can produce complex structures with controlled morphology when the printed 3D object is immersed in a liquid coolant, whose upper surface is maintained at the same level as the highest deposited layer of the object. This ensures that the computer-controlled process of freezing is controlled precisely and already printed frozen layers remain at a constant temperature. The technology controls the temperature, flow rate and volume of the printed fluid emitted by the dispenser that has X-Y positional translation and conditions at the interface between the dispenser and coolant surface. The technology can also control the temperature of the pool of liquid coolant and the vertical position of the printing surface and pool of coolant liquid.

Systems and methods interconnect cell culture devices and/or fluidic devices by transferring discrete volumes of fluid between devices. A liquid-handling system collects a volume of fluid from at least one source device and deposits the fluid into at least one destination device. In some embodiments, a liquid-handling robot actuates the movement and operation of a fluid collection device in an automated manner to transfer the fluid between the at least one source device and the at least one destination device. In some cases, the at least one source device and the at least one destination device are cell culture devices. The at least one source device and the at least one destination device may be microfluidic or non-microfluidic devices. In some cases, the cell culture devices may be microfluidic cell culture devices. In further cases, the microfluidic cell culture devices may include organ-chips.

Disclosed herein are microfluidic devices that may be used to mimic human organ systems, in particular, pancreatic function, and methods of using same. In particular, disclosed are microfluidic devices that may include a first chamber having a plurality of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells (PDECs), a second chamber having a plurality of pancreatic islets, and a permeable membrane fluidly connecting the chambers. The disclosed devices and methods may be used for the study of pancreatic cell function, for the development of therapeutics, or for the development of personalized therapeutics wherein the cells of the device are obtained from an individual in need of such treatment.

The instant disclosure is directed to a method for vascularizing a pancreatic islet comprising culturing the pancreatic islet or β-cells with an endothelial cell comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an ETV2 transcription factor under conditions wherein the endothelial cell expresses the ETV2 transcription factor. The instant disclosure is further directed to a method for making a vascularized β-cell organoid comprising culturing the pancreatic islet or β-cells with an endothelial cell comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an ETV2 transcription factor under conditions wherein the endothelial cell expresses the ETV2 transcription factor. Disclosed also are vascularized islets and vascularized β-cell organoids produced by the methods of the instant disclosure, as well as methods for using the same.

High-throughput column arrays of vascularized living parenchyma/tissue having pillars dispersed in specialized configurations and arrangements substantially vertically through the column to provide support, passive or active perfusion, and access to internal portions of tissue for analytical sampling needs, along with 3-D printing methods of manufacture and analytical screening methods employing the column arrays.