A rotary planar peristaltic micropump (RPPM) includes an actuator having a shaft engaged with a motor such that activation of the motor causes the shaft to rotate, and a bearing assembly engaged with the shaft. The bearing assembly has a bearing cage defining a plurality of spaced-apart openings thereon, and a plurality of rolling-members accommodated in the plurality of spaced-apart openings of the bearing cage, such that when the shaft rotates, the plurality of rolling-members of the bearing assembly rolls along a circular path. The RPPM also includes a fluidic path in fluidic communication with first and second ports. The fluidic path is positioned under the actuator and coincident with the circular path, such that when the shaft of the actuator rotates, the plurality of rolling-members of the bearing assembly rolls along the fluidic path to cause a fluid to transfer between the first and second ports.

Disclosed herein are platforms, systems, and methods including a cell culture system that includes a cell culture container comprising a cell culture, the cell culture receiving input cells, a cell imaging subsystem configured to acquire images of the cell culture, a computing subsystem configured to perform a cell culture process on the cell culture according to the images acquired by the cell imaging subsystem, and a cell editing subsystem configured to edit the cell culture to produce output cell products according to the cell culture process.

Disclosed herein are platforms, systems, and methods including a cell culture system that includes a cell culture container comprising a cell culture, the cell culture receiving input cells, a cell imaging subsystem configured to acquire images of the cell culture, a computing subsystem configured to perform a cell culture process on the cell culture according to the images acquired by the cell imaging subsystem, and a cell editing subsystem configured to edit the cell culture to produce output cell products according to the cell culture process.

A multi-stage anaerobic digester is designed to treat a high solids, stackable feedstock. The system may also receive a pumpable feedstock such as a slurry or sludge. In a first stage, the digestate circulates in one direction around a raceway such that the digestate may pass a feed inlet multiple times before leaving the first tank. An optional side stream loop withdraws fibrous material from near the top of the raceway and return digestate with chopped fibers, preferably lower and further along the raceway. An outlet from the raceway located near, but upstream of, the feed inlet discharges partially digested substrate to a second stage, which is operated as a stirred tank reactor. The two stages may be provided in a single tank with an internal wall separating a ring shaped outer portion from a cylindrical inner portion. The digester may be operated in a thermophilic temperature range.

A process includes microbially degrading harvested polyculture plant material to form a concentrated microbial biomass and providing the concentrated microbial biomass to an intermediary animal for consumption. The process may also be directed to producing a product animal which includes providing a growth area having an outlet for waste and providing a harvested plant material collection area having an outlet for degradation products. The process may also include providing a microbial growth system for producing a bacterial biomass and directing at least some waste from the outlet of the product animal growth area to the harvested plant material collection area. The process may also include directing at least some degradation products to the microbial growth system, directing some of the microbial biomass produced in the microbial growth system to an intermediary animal for consumption, and directing the intermediary animal to a product animal growth area.

A system and method for decomposing municipal solid waste (MSW) under anaerobic conditions. The system includes a bioreactor landfill with the MSW, a leachate recirculation unit in connection with the bioreactor landfill, a multilevel thermocouple unit, placed inside the bioreactor landfill for monitoring temperature in the bioreactor landfill. Further, the system includes a sensor for monitoring moisture level within the bioreactor landfill. Furthermore, the system includes the leachate recirculation unit configured to initiate recirculation of a leachate, collected from the bioreactor landfill, when temperature in the bioreactor reaches a determined temperature and a determined moisture level.

A perfusion bioreactor includes at least one ultrasonic transducer that can acoustically generate a multi-dimensional standing wave. The standing wave can be used to retain cells in the bioreactor, and can also be utilized to dewater or further harvest product from the waste materials produced in a bioreactor.

A process includes microbially degrading harvested polyculture plant material to form a concentrated microbial biomass and providing the concentrated microbial biomass to an intermediary animal for consumption. The process may also be directed to producing a product animal which includes providing a growth area having an outlet for waste and providing a harvested plant material collection area having an outlet for degradation products. The process may also include providing a microbial growth system for producing a bacterial biomass and directing at least some waste from the outlet of the product animal growth area to the harvested plant material collection area. The process may also include directing at least some degradation products to the microbial growth system, directing some of the microbial biomass produced in the microbial growth system to an intermediary animal for consumption, and directing the intermediary animal to a product animal growth area.

Compositions and methods for a hybrid biological and chemical process that captures and converts carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon and/or CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions, into organic chemicals including biofuels or other valuable biomass, chemical, industrial, or pharmaceutical products are provided. The present invention, in certain embodiments, fixes inorganic carbon or CI carbon sources into longer carbon chain organic chemicals by utilizing microorganisms capable of performing the oxyhydrogen reaction and the autotrophic fixation of CO.sub.2 in one or more steps of the process.

The invention discloses a system for perfusion culture of cells which comprises: a bioreactor; a filter unit with a retentate inlet end, a retentate outlet end and a permeate outlet port; a reciprocating pump fluidically connected to the retentate inlet end, with the retentate inlet end fluidically connected to the bioreactor via an inlet check valve arranged to allow flow in the direction from the bioreactor to the retentate inlet end and to block flow in the reverse direction, and where the retentate outlet end is fluidically connected to the bioreactor via an outlet check valve arranged to allow flow in the direction from the retentate outlet end to the bioreactor and to block flow in the reverse direction; and where the inlet and outlet check valves are each fluidically connected to a tubing branch point, which is further connected to the bioreactor via a length of tubing. In an alternative embodiment, each of said inlet and outlet check valves is fluidically connected to the bioreactor via separate lengths of tubing. The invention further discloses a pre-sterilized system for perfusion culture of cells which comprises: a bioreactor; a reciprocating pump and a filter unit fluidically connected to the reciprocating pump and fluidically connected to the bioreactor via at least one aseptic connector.