Systems and methods for automated cell culturing are disclosed. In some embodiments, one or more cell culture vessels are fluidly connected with one or more multiport valves and one or more fluid pumps. The fluid pumps may pump various fluids into and out of the cell culture vessels as necessary to support cell growth, routed by the one or more multiport valves. In some embodiments, one or more components may be removable from other components so that some components may be prepared and sterilized independently prior to usage.

One aspect of the invention provides a method of generating bacteriophages adapted to infect a target bacterial strain. The method comprises: providing host bacteria that are susceptible to phage as input to a host chemostat containing phage; providing target bacteria that are related to the host bacteria, but not susceptible to phage as input to a target chemostat containing phage; filtering outflows from the host chemostat and the target chemostat to isolate phage from the populations of the host bacteria, the target bacteria, and macromolecules; combining the outflows; and introducing the combined outflow into each of the host chemostat and the target chemostat.

The invention relates to a single-use connection device for insertion into a connection opening of a bioreactor, in particular in a connection opening of a top plate of a dimensionally-stable bioreactor or in a connection opening of a connection element of a pouch bioreactor. The single-use connection device is inserted in a connection opening of a top plate of a bioreactor and/or in a connection opening of a pouch reactor and is provided with multiple passages and an attachment section, wherein the single-use connection device is formed as a single piece and is made of plastic. The attachment section, on an outer peripheral surface, has an attachment structure for attaching the single-use connection device in the connection opening.

A fluid supply interface includes at least one supply coupling configuration, at least one discharge coupling configuration, at least one user coupling configuration, and a fluid conduit that connects the supply, discharge, and user coupling configurations to one another. A supply valve is capable of having fluid flow through it or is blocked for flow through it. A discharge valve is capable of having fluid flow through it or is blocked for flow through it. The supply valve is preloaded into a blocking position that prevents flow, and opens by means of a sufficiently large pressure difference between the two sides of the supply valve, against the preload force, for flow through in a direction from the supply coupling configuration toward the fluid conduit. The discharge valve likewise being preloaded into a closed position that prevents flow through it.

A bioprocessing installation comprising a reservoir tank, one or more fluid lines, one or more receiving containers and an electronic control unit. The fluid line fluidically connects the reservoir tank to a receiving container. The liquid biological medium can be transferred from the reservoir tank through the fluid line into the at least one receiving container. The bioprocessing installation comprises a sensor arrangement with at least one gas bubble sensor, which sensor arrangement is configured to detect one or more gas bubbles or foam or separated phases in the liquid biological medium by a gas bubble sensor and to generate one or more corresponding sensor signals, and the electronic control unit is configured to monitor the transfer of the liquid biological medium from the reservoir tank in the direction of the at least one receiving container based on the sensor signals generated by the sensor arrangement.

One aspect of this disclosure is a method for maintaining a plankton population in a culture medium by removing particles from the culture medium. The method may comprise rotating a filter body to lift the particles from the culture medium with a filter of the filter body, positioning the filter relative to a conduit so that a first portion of the lifted particles fall into the conduit, directing a removal fluid toward the filter body to move a second portion of the lifted particles off the filter and into the conduit with impact forces applied by the removal fluid, and/or outputting an effluent flow from the conduit. The effluent flow may comprise the first and second portions of the lifted particles and a portion of the removal fluid. Aspects of related apparatus, methods, and systems also are disclosed.

Devices for treatment of cells are disclosed. The devices include an elongated housing and at least one hollow fiber semi-permeable membrane positioned within the housing having a plurality of pores dimensioned to prevent passage of the cells to be treated. Systems for treatment of cells including the device are disclosed. Methods of treating cells, including transducing cells and activating cells, are also disclosed. The methods include introducing a biosample with cells to be treated into the device, introducing media to suspend and release treated cells into the device, and discharging the treated cells from the device.

The devices, methods and systems are described for providing controlled amounts of gas, gas pressure and vacuum to microfluidic devices the culturing of cells under flow conditions. The devices, methods, and systems contemplated here may also be used to control the environment surrounding the microfluidic devices; offer user control over experiments comprising microfluidic devices, such as the ability to directly or remotely control experiment conditions; and comprise information aggregation and transmission, such that experimental data may be collected, stored, aggregated and transmitted to users.

There is disclosed a fluid distribution system for distributing fluid from a single source to a plurality of downstream receptacles. The system has a distribution manifold with a single inlet and a plurality of outlets arrayed around a circumferential outer periphery. The outlets may be directed to the different receptacles which each have their own vent filter, or each receptacle connects back to the distribution manifold for common venting.

Disclosed herein is an instrument suitable for processing cells for example culturing, concentrating or washing said cells, the instrument comprising: a housing for accommodating mechanical elements including at least one fluid pump; and a disposable processing kit complementary to the mechanical elements within the housing and comprising a fluid circuit including a fluid reservoir and plural fluid paths capable of carrying fluid flow caused by said pump(s), the instrument further including a mechanism for determining the quantity, or change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir resulting from said fluid flow, the instrument yet further comprising a controller operable to control at least the pump and operable to perform a fault determination process, which includes the steps of determining the expected flow rate of said pump(s) calculated from the speed of the pump(s) and comparing that expected flow with the change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir as determined by said mechanism.