The present invention is a cell cultivating vessel or device, such as a single or multitier flask, including a cover having a top plate, a side wall and a resealable port; an intermediate tray for receiving cells and cell culture media, having a bottom plate, a side wall, and a gap region formed between an interior upwardly angled lip located on an interior portion of the intermediate tray bottom plate and an adjacent outwardly angled side wall portion of the intermediate tray bottom plate, wherein the lip has a outwardly swooping curvilinear edge feature; and a base tray for receiving the cells and cell culture media, including a bottom plate and a side wall. The intermediate tray is positioned between the cover and the base tray, such that the gap region of the intermediate tray bottom plate is in alignment with the port located on the cover, resulting in the port, the intermediate tray and the base tray in fluid communication with one another which provides direct access, such as by a user to remove and/or add cells, cell media, and nutrients located on each of the intermediate and/or the base trays. Alternatively, the cell cultivating flask includes a plurality of intermediate trays stacked on top of one another and the gap regions of each intermediate tray are in alignment with each other and with the port on the cover.

Using 3D printing, a microwell is formed by providing a plurality of masks, each mask representing a cross-section of a layer of the concave structure. Progressive movement of a projection plane exposes a pre-polymer solution to polymerizing radiation modulated by the masks to define the layers of the microwell, where each layer is exposed for a non-equal exposure period as determined by a non-linear factor. In a preferred embodiment, a first portion of the masks are base layer masks, which are exposed for a longer period than subsequent exposure periods. Shapes of the microwells, which may include circular, square, annular, or other geometric shapes, and their depths, are selected to promote aggregation behavior in the target cells, which may include tumor cells and stem cells.

A composition of microorganisms, comprising photoautotrophic microorganisms (16) which produce oxygen by photosynthetic water oxidation chemoheterotrophic microorganisms (17) which respire oxygen, wherein the photoautotrophic microorganisms (16) and the chemoheterotrophic microorganisms (17) are comprised in a biofilm (13), the biofilm further comprising components (15) which were secreted by the photoautotrophic microorganisms (16) and/or the chemoheterotrophic microorganisms (17),
and a reactor (1), a method for forming a biofilm, and a method for biocatalytic conversion employing such composition.

An improved cell culture monitoring system and method that detects cell growth and concentration in a dynamic environment of incubator/shaker. In order to reduce power consumption and make a wireless cell culture monitoring system practical, several methods of temperature compensation are used to replace a method of controlling the temperature of sensing module. Furthermore its power consumption can be significantly reduced by using an adaptive and synchronized light pulse detection technique.

An assembly for performing in vitro biocompatibility tests, at least one sample is arranged on a surface of a base plate or the sample forms a surface or a surface region of the base plate. A holding element having at least one through-hole is placed onto the sample so that a first opening of the through-hole, which first opening is arranged facing the base plate, is arranged in the region of the sample. The through-hole, with the hollow space thereof, and the sample form a cavity. A cover element is placed onto and fastened on the holding element so that a compressive force acts on the holding element, which compressive force leads to at least partial deformation of the holding element and to a fluid-tight closure of the first opening of the through-hole, which first opening is arranged facing the base plate.

Autotrophic algal growth in high incident light situations may be conducted in a reactor with circulation of algal reaction medium between light and dark zones with very short residence time in the light zone to maintain algal growth in the reactor in a linear growth regime in which the rate of algal biomass production is proportional to the incident photosynthetic photon flux density. Process monitoring and control may permit quick processing in a single step even in open pond systems. Dissolved nitrogen levels in product may be monitored and nitrogen nutrient input may be restricted to reduce dissolved nitrogen in effluent and to increase lipid yield without a separate nitrogen starvation step.

The invention provides a device for growing cells—referred to as a cassette. The cell culturing device includes a housing that contains a lid having an optically clear window; a fluid distribution channel; a sample injection port fluidically connected to the fluid distribution channel; a base housing a porous media pad; and a media injection port fluidically connected to the media pad. The lid mates to the base to form a sterile seal; the fluid distribution channel is disposed over the media pad, which is viewable through the optical window; and sample fluid introduced into the fluid distribution channel is distributed evenly to the media pad, e.g., via a plurality of channels. The invention also provides kits that include cassettes of the invention and a tube set.

The invention provides a bioreactor and methods for tissue cultivation. A bioreactor module comprises a container, a holder adapted to hold a scaffold containing an inherent vascular network, an inlet connectable to a vessel of the inherent vascular network, an inflatable device disposed within the container, and a pair of electrodes attached to opposing walls of the container, wherein the holder is removably receivable in the container and the inflatable device has a conduit extending through a wall of the container. An alternative embodiment provides an in-vitro method for tissue cultivation, comprising seeding an interior and an exterior of a vessel of an inherent vascular network of a scaffold with a first and a second cell type, respectively, and perfusing through the inherent vascular network with culture medium to facilitate compartmentalized co-cultivation of the first and the second cell type in different niches of the tissue. A further embodiment provides an in-vitro method for tissue cultivation, comprising seeding a surface of a scaffold with a predetermined cell type, and perfusing the scaffold with culture medium from an opposite surface of the scaffold through the scaffold and towards the seeded surface to create a nutrient/oxygen gradient and cause migratory diffusion induced penetration of cells towards the opposite surface.

In the present invention, a photobioreactor and process for producing and harvesting microalgae involves a vessel for cultivating microalgae that is at least partially transparent to admit light into the vessel. At least a portion of the transparent part of the vessel is coated with a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer. The TCO layer is transparent to visible light necessary for algae growth, but is opaque to infrared light thereby reducing thermal heating load in the photobioreactor. The TCO layer also acts as an electrode, which when combined with a counter-electrode can provide a potential difference across at least a portion of the interior of the vessel between the TCO layer and the counter-electrode. The electrode arrangement can be utilized in an electrochemical process (e.g. electrodeposition and/or electroflotation) to dewater and harvest the microalgae in the same apparatus as the microalgae was cultivated.

A device for performing a cell study. The device comprises a plate having a plurality of wells, each configured for containing aqueous solution and having a well bottom with a plurality of picowells and a plurality of biosensors each configured for measuring at least one cell characteristic while being in contact with the aqueous solution in a respective the well. The position of each the biosensor in a respective the well is limited by at least one pin.