A segmented culture dish and imprinting system allows duplicate plates to be produced rapidly and without culture-to-culture overlap. The segmented culture dish and imprinting system includes a dish stamp, a first culture dish, and a second culture dish. The dish stamp may be placed on the first and/or the second culture dishes. The first and the second culture dishes have a key on an inside surface that ensures the orientation of cultures is always preserved, eliminating the need for markings on culture dishes.

Methods and apparatus of bioreactors for therapeutic cells manufacturing are provided herein. In some embodiments, a bioreactor includes: an upper bioreactor reservoir configured to perform multiple cell therapy manufacturing process steps including genetic modification and expansion to a plurality of cells disposed therein, wherein the upper bioreactor reservoir includes a plurality of ports for delivering fluids into and out of the upper bioreactor reservoir; a lower bioreactor compartment configured to hold a suspension comprising a molecular species; and a membrane disposed between the lower bioreactor compartment and the upper bioreactor reservoir, wherein the membrane includes a plurality of micro-straws extending through the membrane and into the upper bioreactor reservoir to transfect the plurality of cells with the molecular species.

Microfluidic devices with neuronal cells, muscle cells, and optionally other cell types co-cultured therein are provided. Typically one or more the cells has a mutation that contributes to or causes a neuronal or muscular disease or disorder. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of the cultured cells are derived from a subject with a neuronal or muscular disease or disorder. The microfluidic device can facilitate formation of a 3D motor unit and a neuromuscular junction in vitro, and be used to monitor the molecular, biochemical, cellular, and morphological differences in the formation of such structures by healthy and diseased cells, and for testing compounds, dosages of compounds, dosing regimes, and combinations thereof, that may improve or worsen their formation. An exemplary combination drug therapy identified in this way is also provided.

A cassette assembly (1) comprises a cover (100), two cassette halves (200A, 200B) and a slider (300) comprising multiple test chambers (302). The cassette halves (200A, 200B) comprise waste tanks (230) in fluid connection with reservoirs (240), prefilled in one of the cassette halves (200A, 200B) with test agents. The particular design of the cassette halves (200A, 200B) enable forming predefined 5 volumes of liquid to achieve predefined concentrations of the test agents in the reservoirs (240) in one of the cassette halves (200A, 200B) and liquid in the reservoirs (240) in the other of the cassette halves (200A, 200B). Gradients of the test agents can then be established over the multiple test chambers (302).

An extra-capillary fluid cycling unit for maintaining and cycling fluid volumes in a cell culture chamber includes a housing and a first flexible reservoir extra-capillary fluid reservoir disposed in the housing. The extra-capillary fluid reservoir is in fluid communication with a cell culture chamber. A second flexible reservoir is also located in the housing, the second flexible reservoir being in fluid communication with a pressure source. A sensor plate is movably disposed in the housing between the extra-capillary reservoir and the second reservoir, wherein the second reservoir is pressurized to move the sensor plate in relation to the extra-capillary reservoir to cause fluid cycling and maintain fluid volumes in the cell growth chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a nanofiber structure for cell culture, a method for manufacturing the structure, and a cell analysis device including the nanofiber structure for cell culture. The structure includes a cell culture layer made of nanofibers; and a spacer protruding upward from a surface of the cell culture layer, wherein the spacer divides a region on the cell culture layer into at least two culturing regions, wherein the spacer is made of the same nanofibers as the cell culture layer and thus has a cell migration channel defined therein.

A microfluidic cell culture system is provided. The system includes a dual circulation arrangement for providing the cell culture with culture medium (and, optionally, selected compounds for study). The dual circulation arrangement permits culture conditions to be readily modified for different phases of cell culture. In particular, a first circulation route can be used to circulate a relatively high volume of medium, thereby allowing a low cell number to medium volume ratio, and a second circulation route can be used to circulate a relatively low volume of medium, thereby allowing a high cell number to medium volume ratio. The first circulation is optimised for a pre-culture period, before test compounds are added, and the second circulation is optimised for the test phase, providing a high cell number to medium ratio while preserving function during the test period.

An apparatus for culturing cells includes a bioreactor. The bioreactor may be modular and may include in a chamber a fixed bed, such as an unstructured or structured fixed bed (such as a spiral bed) for culturing cells, with a return column arranged centrally within the chamber. The modular bioreactor may include a plurality of structured fixed bed arranged in a stacked configuration. The modular bioreactor may include an outer casing forming a space for conditioning (e.g., insulating, heating, cooling) at least a chamber in which cells are cultured. The bioreactor may also include an impeller with radially curved blades, and may also suspend the impeller so that it may move from side-to-side and align with an external drive. Related methods are also disclosed.

[Problem]

To provide a microorganism deodorizing device capable of sufficiently exhibiting a decomposition-deodorization function while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost, even in a large-scale device including a large-sized deodorizing tank.

[Solution]

A deodorizing tank 1 of a microorganism deodorizing device 1A forms an airflow passage 20 through which air passes from a chamber unit 3 to an opening portion 19; and the airflow passage 20 is provided with a deodorizing unit 5 in which a foam material 17 is filled, a ventilation resistance layer 4 arranged close to or adjacent to the deodorizing unit 5 and configured to increase ventilation resistance of the air flowing through the airflow passage 20, and a chamber unit 3 arranged close to or adjacent to the deodorizing unit 5 and/or the ventilation resistance layer 4 as a chamber which temporarily stores the air fed to the deodorizing tank 1; and the air is fed to the deodorizing unit 5 in a state of being spread in the chamber unit 3 over a substantially entire surface of the deodorizing unit 5 as a result of that the ventilation resistance of flow of the air flowing through the airflow passage 20 is increased by the ventilation resistance layer 4.

A cell culturing container including a fixed bed is provided for forming a bioreactor (100). In one version, a container in the form of a tubular body is formed by first and second interlocking portions (115a, 115b). The container forms a compartment for receiving the fixed bed (122) for culturing cells, which container may be removably inserted into an inner compartment of the bioreactor so as form an outer chamber for circulating fluid to or from the fixed bed. The container may also include a removable base (130) for receiving an agitator (118) for agitating and thus circulating the fluid. Related methods are also disclosed.