Devices and methods are provided that allow for the casting of flat, controlled thickness layers of gel or polymer on a test surface, such as within the wells of a microplate. A spacer device is interposed between the test surface and the planar lower face of a movable pillar, defining a highly uniform volume. Addition of a gel or polymer precursor in solution followed by curing generates a highly uniform gel or polymer layer with a planar upper surface within this volume, which is exposed on removal of the pillar. In some embodiments a group of pillars is provided in a manifold that provides spacing and arrangement corresponding to a group of test wells. The pillars are mounted in the manifold so as to provide translation movement normal to the test surface, allowing them to rest against the spacer device and facilitating gentle removal from the wells. A variety of spacer devices are considered, including beads, flattened rings, and toroidal spacers.

Provided is a medical calcium carbonate composition that highly satisfies 1) tissue affinity, 2) in vivo resorbability, 3) reactivity, and 4) mechanical strength required for medical materials to be implanted in vivo, a medical calcium phosphate composition, a medical carbonate apatite composition, a medical calcium hydroxide porous structure, a medical calcium sulfate setting granules, and a bone defect regeneration kit related to the medical calcium carbonate composition, and methods for producing these. The medical composition calcium carbonate that highly satisfies the above described elements, and related medical compositions can be produced by controlling the polymorph or structure of calcium carbonate.

The systems and methods of the present disclosure can be used to generate systems and models that are physiologically relevant to the human and animal system. These physiological conditions can be designed to mimic the actual human condition for cell differentiation and proliferation. The system and methods of this present disclosure allow the formation of an appropriate biomaterial to mimic that which exists in a human or animal scaffold. Utilizing 3D printing technology, a hydrogel scaffold can be printed at various resolution very close to human physiological geometry. Additionally, the architecture can be optimized for the selected application and appropriate cells can be seeded on the scaffold prior to testing.

High-throughput column arrays of vascularized living parenchyma/tissue having pillars dispersed in specialized configurations and arrangements substantially vertically through the column to provide support, passive or active perfusion, and access to internal portions of tissue for analytical sampling needs, along with 3-D printing methods of manufacture and analytical screening methods employing the column arrays.

A modular engineered tissue construct includes a plurality of fused self-assembled, scaffold-free, high-density cell aggregates. At least one cell aggregate includes a plurality of cells and a plurality of biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles and/or microparticles that are incorporated within the cell aggregates. The nanoparticles and/or microparticles acting as a bulking agent within the cell aggregate to increase the cell aggregate size and/or thickness and improve the mechanical properties of the cell aggregate as well as to deliver bioactive agents.

A method for fabricating a cornea includes affixing a frame to at least one cell culture insert comprising a generally cylindrical structure having a proximal end and a distal end, a base disposed at the proximal end, and a porous membrane disposed between the proximal end and the distal end; affixing a dome-shaped member to the porous membrane within the frame, the dome-shaped member comprising a crown, a dome base, and a surface connecting the crown and the dome base; depositing a material comprising a matrix-forming compound on the frame such that the crown and at least a portion of the surface of the dome-shaped member is coated with the material comprising the matrix-forming compound; and removing the dome-shaped member to produce a fabricated cornea attached to the frame. A system for fabricating a cornea and a cornea scaffold are also described herein.

The present disclosure provides a method of producing uniformly sized organoids/multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic device having an array of microwells. The method involves several successive steps. First, a microfluidic device containing parallel rows of microwells that are connected with a supplying channel is filled with a wetting agent. The wetting agent is a liquid that is immiscible in water. For example, the wetting agent may be an organic liquid such as oil. In the next step, the agent in the supplying channel and the microwells is replaced with a suspension of cells in an aqueous solution that contains a precursor for a hydrogel. Next, the aqueous phase in the supplying channel is replaced with the agent, which leads to the formation of an array of droplets of cell suspension in the hydrogel precursor solution, which were compartmentalized in the wells. The droplets are then transformed into cell-laden hydrogels. Subsequently, the agent in the supplying channel is replaced with the cell culture medium continuously flowing through the microfluidic device and the cells within the hydrogels are transformed into multicellular spheroids.

Certain examples of the disclosure concern an apparatus including a microcarrier configured to receive and support attachment and growth of cells, and a magnetoelastic sensor enclosed by the microcarrier. The magnetoelastic sensor is configured to vibrate in response to an activation magnetic field, and the vibration can produce a return magnetic field having detectable field characteristics associated with the attachment or growth of the cells.

A cell culture apparatus includes one or more plates having a first major surface and an opposing second major surface. The first major surface comprises a structured surface defining a plurality of wells. Each well has an interior surface defining an upper aperture and a nadir, wherein the upper aperture of each well has a diametric dimension in a range from 100 micrometers to 2000 micrometers. The apparatus also includes a plurality of spacers extending from the first major surface along a length of the bottom surface. A plurality of flow channels are defined between adjacent rails.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to rotating bioreactors and articles and methods that are useful for adapting a rotating bioreactor for use with tissues or scaffolds of different sizes. In some embodiments, bioreactors comprising a reservoir and an arbor assembly are provided herein, in which the arbor assembly comprises a rotatable support to which a tissue or tissue scaffold can be attached.