Agitating device (10) for a digester (1) of a biogas plant (100) having a housing (11) and a driving device (12) for rotatably driving the agitator blades (13-15). The driving device (12) comprises a drive shaft (16) and an electric drive motor (20) wherein the drive motor (20) is accommodated sealed in the housing (11). The drive motor (20) comprises an outer, hollow stator (21) and a rotary rotor (22) which is centrally accommodated therein and is configured at least partially hollow. The rotor (22) is rotatably supported at the housing (11) and comprises a coupling device (23) for non-rotatable coupling with the drive shaft (16) to drive the at least one agitator blade (13-15) by means of the drive shaft (16).

The present invention relates to systems and methods involving interconnected plate components, including bases, lids and covers, interconnected in a manner such that a continuous strip of each component is prepared. The continuous strips may be stored as rollstock in a reel style. The physical properties of each continuous strip allow the base, lid and/or cover to include means for positive control. In one embodiment, the continuous strip of bases is advanced and processed through an automated system with positive control, and remains in the form of a continuous strip until agar in the bases is cured, at which time the bases are singulated. When a lid is applied to a base using methods described herein, an airtight seal is formed improving the quality of culture media used in testing.

Embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus for positioning and securing an excised biological tissue specimen for imaging and analysis. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a sample bag defining an inner volume configured to receive a biological tissue sample, and a sealing member coupled to the sample bag. An imaging window is disposed and configured to be placed in contact with at least a portion of the biological tissue sample, and a positioning member is coupled to the imaging window and is configured to be disposed against the sealing member to substantially seal the inner volume. The positioning member includes a vacuum port disposed and configured to be aligned with a vacuum source to withdraw air from the inner volume of the sample bag.

The invention discloses a first connection unit having a plurality of sensor surfaces and which is adapted to be aseptically connected to a second connection unit mounted e.g. on a flexible bioreactor bag.

The present invention provides an intestinal flora extraction vessel for extracting an intestinal flora from feces, the vessel including: a vessel main body with a first opening portion and a second opening portion formed therein, the vessel main body being configured so as to be deformable; an opening/closing mechanism configured to open/close the first opening portion of the vessel main body; a filter member accommodated in the vessel main body and partitioning the vessel main body into a first region located on the side of the first opening portion and a second region located on the side of the second opening portion, the filter member being configured to filter off the intestinal flora from the feces; and a communication member attached to the second opening portion, and configured to allow the second region to be in communication with the outside of the vessel main body.

A photobioreactor including a containment structure containing a liquid culture medium for cultivating seaweed. The containment structure includes a sidewall extending vertically between a top and bottom section where the bottom section has an effluent arranged to allow extraction of cultivated seaweed. A spiral liner is positioned adjacent to an inside surface of the sidewall. Light emitters are arranged along a surface of the spiral liner. Flow generators, positioned within the containment structure in a spiral configuration between the top section and bottom section, are configured to direct a flow of the liquid culture medium from the top section toward the bottom section of the containment structure.

Specialized culture plates for imaging cells in a quick, high throughput manner are provided. Ideally the wells of the culture plate have triangular, square, or V-shaped wells or cell sorting walls having a plurality of vertices, and more complicated variations thereof are also possible. The plates are tilted or rotated to collect the cells at the vertex or vertices of the wells, optionally vibrated to speed the collection, then the vibration and tilt or rotation removed for some period of time, whereon the cells are imaged through the flat transparent bottom of the plate.

A cell culture vessel including an accommodating part which is an inner space accommodating a cell culture support therein, a fixing member configured to fix the cell culture support to a lower surface of the accommodating part, wherein the fixing member includes a first adhesive layer attached to the lower surface of the accommodating part, a second adhesive layer attached to a lower surface of the cell culture support, and a support film interposed between the first adhesive layer and the second adhesive layer and configured to perform a support function, and an adhesive force between the second adhesive layer and the cell culture support is higher than an adhesive force between the first adhesive layer and the lower surface of the accommodating part.

Provided are automated cell culture systems and related in vitro cell culture methods, including for a co-culture of different cell populations having different cell culture conditions. For example, the system may comprise a bioreactor having a plurality of cell culture compartments, the bioreactor having a fluid port fluidly connected to the plurality of cell culture compartments. A pump fluidly connected to the fluid port can provide a cell culture medium to the plurality of culture compartments. A sensor is operably connected to at least one of the plurality of cell culture compartments for measuring at least one cell culture parameter. In this manner, a controller electronically connected the pump and sensor, is configured to automatically adjust a pump flow rate and/or a cell culture gas content to provide a desired steady-state cell culture parameter for facilitating cells interactions and collection of products representative of said interactions.

The connection support device includes a rod-shaped member insertable into respective hollow portions of two or more cell structures, the rod-shaped member being inserted into the hollow portions, the rod-shaped member including a circular cross section having an outer diameter capable of adhering to inner surfaces of the cell structures when the rod-shaped member contracts after maturing, and a total length longer than a sum of respective lengths of the two or more cell structures, and two presser devices including clamp portions capable of being fixed to the rod-shaped member by clamping and fitting to the rod-shaped member, the rod-shaped member being made of a material with oxygen permeability.