A 3D scaffold (3-dimensional scaffold) is comprised of a biocompatible polymer. The 3D scaffold includes a recess that is open towards the top side of the 3D scaffold as a colonization chamber for biological cells, a canal-type vessel, which at least partially surrounds the colonization chamber, a filling opening for the canal-type vessel, and an outlet opening for the canal-type vessel. A production method for the 3D scaffold is also provided and the 3D scaffold is used for colonizing the colonization chamber with biological cells.

A test vessel includes one or more test locations configured to contain a medium suitable for culturing a live substance. A thermochromic material is thermally coupled to the one or more test locations. The thermochromic material is configured to exhibit a spectral shift in light emanating from the thermochromic material in response to an increase or decrease in energy conversion by the live substance that causes a change in temperature of the thermochromic material.

A substrate for producing cell aggregates provided with a plurality of spots which comprises a polymer containing a recurring unit derived from a monomer represented by the following formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein U.sup.a1, U.sup.a2, R.sup.a1 and R.sup.a2 are as defined herein, on a substrate having an ability to inhibit adhesion of cells, wherein a ratio of a total area of the spots to a surface area of the substrate is 30% or more, a diameter of each spot is 50 to 5,000 μm, and a distance between the spots is 30 to 1,000 μm, a method for producing the same, and a method for producing cell aggregates using such a substrate and a method of improving cell utilization efficiency at the time of producing the cell aggregates.

The present disclosure provides a method of producing uniformly sized organoids/multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic device having an array of microwells. The method involves several successive steps. First, a microfluidic device containing parallel rows of microwells that are connected with a supplying channel is filled with a wetting agent. The wetting agent is a liquid that is immiscible in water. For example, the wetting agent may be an organic liquid such as oil. In the next step, the agent in the supplying channel and the microwells is replaced with a suspension of cells in an aqueous solution that contains a precursor for a hydrogel. Next, the aqueous phase in the supplying channel is replaced with the agent, which leads to the formation of an array of droplets of cell suspension in the hydrogel precursor solution, which were compartmentalized in the wells. The droplets are then transformed into cell-laden hydrogels. Subsequently, the agent in the supplying channel is replaced with the cell culture medium continuously flowing through the microfluidic device and the cells within the hydrogels are transformed into multicellular spheroids.

Some embodiments of the disclosure disclose a process for adhering cells, beads or particles to a surface of a material. The surface may be flat or curved and can be employed in the context of patterned or 3D printed hollow channels, facilitating the recapitulation of certain aspects of physiological systems. In various embodiments, interfacial cell seeding is accomplished by locally polymerizing a carrier containing a suspension of cells along the surface with a crosslinking molecule incorporated into the target material in advance of the interfacial polymerization. Polymerization of the carrier entraps the cells into controlled configuration along the surface. The techniques disclosed herein can be utilized for tissue engineering to build engineered organs/devices suitable for implanting into living organisms.

Materials and methods for cell-mimetics having mechanical properties of biological neural axons are provided. A cell-mimetic device includes an array of fibers comprised of hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) or an HDDA derivative, and at least one derivative of polyethylene glycol (PEG) selected from the group consisting of: PEG-acrylate, PEG-diacrylate, and any multi-arm PEG-acrylate.

Provided are a composition for forming a coating film, a coating film and a substrate having the coating film, which have excellent compatibility with biological substances, as well as a method for producing the same. A composition for forming a coating film having the ability to inhibit adhesion of biological substances, the composition comprising a copolymer and a solvent, wherein the copolymer is obtained by subjecting a monomer mixture to polymerization, wherein the monomer mixture comprises compounds represented by the following formulae (1), (2), and (3):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.6, n, and m are as defined in the Description and Claims, wherein the compound represented by the formula (3) above is contained in a predetermined amount in the monomer mixture, a coating film obtained from the composition, and a substrate having the coating film as well as a method for producing the same.

Apparatus, systems and methods for the adaptive passage of a culture of cells and apparatus and methods for dissociating cell colonies are described. The systems may include an imaging module, a pipette module, a handling module, and/or a stage module. Coordinated operation of the modules, optionally in an automated manner, is effected by at least one processor based on one or more characteristics of the culture of cells calculated from one or more images captured at more than one time point. A first apparatus for adaptive passage of a culture cells includes an imaging module and at least one processor, which apparatus may be included in the systems or used in the methods. A second apparatus for dissociating cell colonies, may also be included in the systems or used in the methods, includes impact bumper(s) collidable with impact bracket(s) to transmit a dissociative force to a culture of cells.

Provided is a culture vessel for adherent cells that has a large culture portion surface area and ensures easily dissociating and recovering cells without consuming a medium or a dissociation solution more than necessary. The bag-shaped adherent cell culture vessel made of flexible packaging material includes a vessel body portion having a first vessel wall and a second vessel wall and one or more injecting/ejecting ports. The vessel body portion has an intermediate culture wall between the first vessel wall and the second vessel wall. A culture chamber is disposed in each of between the first vessel wall and the intermediate culture wall and between the second vessel wall and the intermediate culture wall, and a flow passage communicating between the respective culture chambers is disposed.

A packed-bed bioreactor system is provided, the system including a cell culture vessel having a first end, a second end, and a reservoir between the first and second ends; and a cell culture matrix disposed in the reservoir. The cell culture matrix includes a structurally defined substrate with a plurality of interwoven fibers having surfaces for adhering cells thereto. The substrate is disposed within the reservoir in a wound configuration creating a plurality of layers of substrate in the wound configuration, and none of the plurality of layers of substrate are separated by a spacer material.