The present invention relates to a multicellular construct that includes cells and a scaffold. The scaffold is constituted by a layered composite that comprises a gelatin nonwoven containing gelatin as a main component, and a gelatin film containing gelatin as a main component and layered on one surface of the gelatin nonwoven, and the cells are present in at least one of a region on the surface of the gelatin nonwoven and a region inside the nonwoven. The multicellular construct can be produced by arranging the scaffold in a swollen state inside the culture vessel whose inner surface is in the dry state such that the gelatin film of the scaffold is in contact with the inner bottom surface of the culture vessel, dripping a cell suspension onto the gelatin nonwoven of the scaffold, and then culturing the cells. This makes it possible to provide a multicellular construct with high seeding efficiency in which desorption of cells from a scaffold is suppressed, a method for manufacturing the same, a kit for producing the same, and a method for evaluating a compound using the same.

Disclosed is an apparatus for the production of tissue from cells. The apparatus comprises an elongate body having at least one circumferential groove and being operable to extend, by close-fitting relationship, centrally through at least one trough. The troughs are extending in a closed path, such that the at least one of the circumferential grooves open into an inner edge of a trough. Also disclosed is a process for production of tissue from cells, via a transitioning intermediate which transitions from the cells into the tissue.

Kits for making a spheroid-stabilizing hydrogel in a calcium-free or calcium-chelated cell culture media include (a) a gelation agent including a polygalacturonic acid (PGA) compound or an alginic acid compound, wherein the PGA compound includes at least one of: (i) pectic acid or salts thereof, or (ii) partially esterified pectic acid having a degree of esterification from about 1 to about 40 mol % or salts thereof; (b) a crosslinking agent, wherein the crosslinking agent includes a salt of a divalent ion; and (c) a proton donor, wherein the proton donor includes lactones, esters, or other compounds that hydrolyze in aqueous solutions to form acids over a period of from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Resultant spheroid-stabilizing hydrogels and methods of preparing the same.

The present utility model relates to supporting means (100) for wastewater treatment plants comprising an outer ring (200), a first inner ring (300), a second inner ring (400) and a third inner ring (500), in which the outer ring (200) is a cylindrical element of diameter (d), height (h) and thickness (e), that has an annular cross section and that delimits the network structure formed therein by inner rings (300, 400, 500), which form a set of openings and respective channels (210, 310, 320, 410, 510).

Provided herein are floating hydrogel droplet culture methods that enable scaling of stem cell derived alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) expansion to numbers compatible with large animal or human whole lung engineering, as well as molds for generating the droplets and methods of use thereof.

A device for simulating a function of a tissue includes a first structure, a second structure, and a membrane. The first structure defines a first chamber. The first chamber includes a matrix disposed therein and an opened region. The second structure defines a second chamber. The membrane is located at an interface region between the first chamber and the second chamber. The membrane includes a first side facing toward the first chamber and a second side facing toward the second chamber. The membrane separates the first chamber from the second chamber.

Gas permeable devices and methods are disclosed for cell culture, including cell culture devices and methods that contain medium at heights, and certain gas permeable surface area to medium volume ratios. These devices and methods allow improvements in cell culture efficiency and scale up efficiency.

The present invention provides a cell culture substrate including a polymer having a lower critical solution temperature, the substrate including one or more inorganic materials selected from a water-swellable clay mineral and silica and further including an adhesive matrix in the substrate, in which the adhesive matrix is an extracellular matrix and/or an adhesive synthetic matrix. Furthermore, the invention is to provide a cell culture substrate in which the extracellular matrix is at least one selected from laminin, fibronectin, vitronectin, cadherin, and fragments thereof, and/or the adhesive synthetic matrix is poly[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide] or an oligopeptide-supporting polymer.

A multi-laminar electrospun nanofiber scaffold for use in repairing a defect in a tissue substrate is provided. The scaffold includes a first layer formed by a first plurality of electrospun polymeric fibers, and a second layer formed by a second plurality of electrospun polymeric fibers. The second layer is combined with the first layer. A first portion of the scaffold includes a higher density of fibers than a second portion of the scaffold, and the first portion has a higher tensile strength than the second portion. The scaffold is configured to degrade via hydrolysis after at least one of a predetermined time or an environmental condition. The scaffold is configured to be applied to the tissue substrate containing the defect, and is sufficiently flexible to facilitate application of the scaffold to uneven surfaces of the tissue substrate, and to enable movement of the scaffold by the tissue substrate.

An organ-on-chip apparatus includes a first fluid channel, a second fluid channel, and an interface. Respective portions of the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel may extend parallel to and adjacent each other, and the interface may be disposed between the respective portions of the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel such that fluid exchange between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel is via the interface. The first and second fluid channels may be defined in an extracellular matrix material.