In biosciences and related fields, it can be useful to study cells in isolation so that cells having unique and desirable properties can be identified within a heterogenous mixture of cells. Processes and methods disclosed herein provide for encapsulating cells within a microfluidic device and assaying the encapsulated cells. Encapsulation can, among other benefits, facilitate analyses of cells that generate secretions of interest which would otherwise rapidly diffuse away or mix with the secretions of other cells.

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing a droplet assembly, which apparatus comprises: at least one droplet generator suitable for generating droplets of a viscous droplet medium; a droplet receiving region which is moveable relative to the at least one droplet generator; a temperature controller; and a control unit, which control unit is adapted to control the dispensing of droplets from the at least one droplet generator and the movement of the droplet receiving region relative to the at least one droplet generator, wherein the apparatus is adapted to produce a droplet assembly in the droplet receiving region, wherein the droplet assembly comprises a plurality of droplets, wherein each of said droplets comprises (i) a droplet medium, and (ii) an outer layer of amphipathic molecules around the surface of the droplet medium.

The present invention relates to a method for cell expansion. More closely, it relates to a method for expansion of cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells, on microcarriers in a plastic bag bioreactor. The invention enables expansion to therapeutic amounts of stem cells. The method comprises the following steps: a) addition of cells in cell culture medium and microcarriers to a plastic bag container; b) allowing the cells to adhere to the microcarriers while the container is kept substantially still; c) addition of further cell culture medium once the cells have adhered; d) culturing the cells under gentle and constant agitation; e) increase the surface area for continued culturing; and f) final harvesting of cells by an active detachment and separation step.

Disclosed herein is a bioreactor system that allows active perfusive flow through a porous support medium enabling 3D growth of biological samples. In some embodiments, the system comprises a sample well filled with a three-dimensional (3D) cell growth medium. The system can further comprise a liquid medium reservoir fluidly connected to the sample well by a first filter material. The system can further comprises a medium collection chamber fluidly connected to the sample well by a second filter material. In some embodiments, application of negative gage pressure to the medium collection chamber or positive pressure to the liquid medium reservoir draws fluid from the liquid medium reservoir, through the first filter material, into the sample well where it permeates the three-dimensional cell growth medium, through the second filter material, and finally into the medium collection chamber.

A method of testing an antibiotic susceptibility includes dispensing and cultivating sample solution into culture wells including one or more comparative wells and a plurality of antibiotic wells receiving two or more kinds of antibiotics, respectively, receiving the sample solution into a plurality of preprocessing wells each including magnetic particles and fluorescent particles that bond to one or more kinds of bacteria such that the bacteria and the magnetic particles and fluorescent particles bond to each other, receiving the sample solution into a plurality of image wells having magnetic members thereunder such that the magnetic particles bonding to the bacteria are arranged on the bottoms of the image wells, removing the sample solution from the image wells that have undergone the planarizing step, taking fluorescent images of the image wells washed in the washing step, and determining an antibiotic tolerance/susceptibility of the sample solution by analyzing the fluorescent images.

A bioreactor (1, 2, 3) and its use for the conversion of organic residual and/or waste materials into an organic nutrient solution with a proportion of at least 10% plant-accessible mineralised nitrogen relative to the total nitrogen content of the nutrient solution, with a reaction tank (5), where the reaction tank (5) has an input feed (6) through which suspension (4) can be introduced into the reaction tank (5), and where the reaction tank (5) has an outlet feed (7), through which the suspension (4) can be discharged from the reaction tank (5), where the carrier element (10) has at least one inner and one outer settlement surface (11), on which ammonifying and/or nitrifying bacteria can collect.

The invention relates to the field of microcarrier perfusion culture of adherent cells. Specifically, the present invention relates to a high-density microcarrier retention device for perfusion culture of adherent cells, a microcarrier perfusion culture system for adherent cells containing the device, and methods of use thereof. The retention device of the present invention includes a sedimentation chamber, a pipeline connected to a bioreactor, a microcarrier retention filter membrane, a liquid backflushing device, an air backflushing device, a peristaltic pump and a pipeline connected to a receiver. The device has high efficiency in promoting the separation of microcarriers from cell culture medium and is helpful for perfusion culture of adherent cells and microcarriers. The retention device makes the culture volume in the bioreactor more flexible, can perform perfusion culture of 20%-100% of the maximum culture volume of the bioreactor, and the retention device can be linearly amplified according to the amplification of the bioreactor volume.

The disclosure relates generally to a system, device, and method for cell culturing. In certain embodiments, the system, device, and method may be used to encapsulate single cells in embryo-like, core-shell microcapsules. In some embodiments, microfluidic devices may be utilized to fabricate core-shell hydrogel microcapsules, which may be used to encapsulate individual cells. In some embodiments, the disclosed system and method are utilized to encapsulate cancer stem cells. The disclosed system, device, and method can be used to isolate and culture CSCs, to facilitate the understanding of cancer biology and etiology, and to advance the development of effective CSC-targeted cancer therapies.

A system for buoyant particle processing includes: a reaction vessel, a stirring mechanism, a set of one or more pumps, and a filter. The system can additionally or alternatively include a set of pathways and/or any other suitable component(s). A method for buoyant particle processing includes: stirring the contents of a reaction vessel; washing a set of buoyant particles; and filtering the contents of the reaction vessel. Additionally or alternatively, the method can include any or all of: preprocessing the set of buoyant particles; adding a set of inputs to the reaction vessel; washing the set of buoyant particles; repeating one or more; and/or any other suitable process(es).

An inclined magnetic holder comprises a magnetic base and a centrifuge tube support plate. The centrifuge tube support plate has centrifuge tube support holes. The magnetic base comprises a first bottom plate, a fixing plate, and two first-side support plates. Respective top portions of the two first-side support plates are provided with a position-locating slot. Two ends of the centrifuge tube support plate are respectively provided with a position-locating protruding block. The centrifuge tube support holes are evenly and linearly distributed on the centrifuge tube support plate. An elastic circular engagement component for holding a centrifuge tube is provided inside the centrifuge tube support holes. A block magnet is fixed to the fixing plate below and corresponding to each of the centrifuge tube support holes. A north pole or south pole surface of the block magnet faces the centrifuge tube and is parallel to an axis of the centrifuge tube.