Organ-on-chip platforms with reduced fluid volumes include circulating fluid volumes of below 1000 ?L, preferably about 500 ?L or less. The platforms are adjustable for culturing cells with varied oxygen demand at various seeding densities. The platforms include at least one lane, wherein each lane includes at least one cell culture well, at least one oxygenator for fluid oxygenation, and a pump system containing at least one pump per lane. The oxygenator may include a separate fluid path for oxygenating the fluid, which allows controlling and measuring the oxygen concentration in the fluid, shortening the diffusion length, and passively diffusing oxygen. Provided are also different configurations for the oxygenator, fluid circulation in the platforms, attachment means for securing scaffolds to culture wells, and pneumatic plates.

A biological cell preservation or culturing arrangement (20) comprises a chamber defining a fluid retaining space (30) for retaining in use a body of fluid (34) and a deformable membrane (36) in communication with the fluid retaining space, and being manipulable by an electroactive polymer actuator arrangement (38) to undergo a defined topology change to induce in the fluid a pattern of fluid flow by which fluid is exchanged between a sub-region (46) immediately proximal the deformable membrane and a sub-region (48) removed from the deformable membrane.

A biological culture unit comprises a chamber body and a valve plate. The chamber body has defined therein a growth chamber and an aliquot chamber. The valve plate is disposed on the top surface of the chamber body and is movable to define selectable configurations of the biological culture unit for: (1) loading the growth chamber; (3) transferring an aliquot from the growth chamber to the aliquot chamber via a path defined within the biological culture unit in the transfer position; and (4) extracting the aliquot from the aliquot chamber. The selectable positions may further include (2) a growth position, and (5) a termination position for putting a termination agent into the growth and aliquot chambers. The valve plate may further include a neutralizer port that is aligned with the aliquot chamber in the loading position, for loading a neutralizing agent into the aliquot chamber.

A perfusion cell culture device includes a driving module and a plurality of cell culture modules. The driving module includes a driving source connecting opening and a chamber. The chamber and the driving source connecting opening are connected. Each of the culture modules includes a fluid channel, a first elastic element, two flow direction controlling units and a cell culture zone. The fluid channel is disposed above the chamber, the first elastic element is disposed between the fluid channel and the chamber, the two flow direction controlling units are respectively disposed on two ends of the fluid channel and connected to the fluid channel selectively, and the cell culture zone is connected to the two flow direction controlling units.

Fermenter for producing a shear-thinning medium comprising a tank volume and a stirring arrangement having an improved distribution capacity or a more uniform shear stress.

Methods for introducing exogenous material into a cell are provided, which include exposing the cell to a transient decrease in pressure in the presence of the exogenous material. Also provided are devices for performing the method of the invention.

A fermentation tank having a first supply or discharge line with a first central opening arranged at the lower end of the fermentation tank for supplying or discharging a product. The fermentation tank also has a second and a third supply or discharge line, each with a centrally arranged opening for supplying or discharging a product, the three openings being arranged at different height levels. Also, a method of fermentation using the fermentation tank.

The invention provides compositions, methods and systems for the ex vivo co-culture of renal cells, more specifically, for the co-culture of glomerulus-derived vascular endothelial cells and podocyte cells using apparatus that mimics the in vivo cellular architecture of the renal corpuscle. The invention described herein finds a variety of uses, for example, as a model system for the study of renal corpuscle function, including the filtration of the blood supply that occurs at the interface of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule, normal physiology of those cell types, and as a model system for the study of renal disease, including the study of drug effects on the functioning of these cell types.

A system and method for automatically digesting, culturing and growing a biopsy. The digester is a closed fluid transfer system, including disposable and durable parts, that receives a biopsy, washes the biopsy tissue, digests the tissue to separate the cells from each other, and seeds the cells in a culture flask. In one use, the system receives cells from a patient, expands and multiplies them, and returns them to the patient. A controller coordinates the motion of a plurality of pumps and the status of a plurality of valves, the pumps and the plurality of valves moving the fluid throughout the system. A sensor system assists the controller in volume and flow rate control of the fluids in the system, and in controlling the position of a tube providing air and fluids to a biopsy vial that includes the biopsy.

A cell seeding method according to this invention includes a step of filling a flow channel of a cell culture device with a culture medium, the cell culture device including a first port that is selectively fluidly connected to a culture medium supplier through a pipe, a second port, and the flow channel that is provided between the first and second ports; and a step of introducing a cell suspension into the flow channel from the second port side of the flow channel with the first port being connected to the pipe after the step of filling the flow channel with the culture medium.