Bioreactors are provided that include a vessel and a jet mixer disposed in the vessel. Methods that utilize the bioreactors are provided, involving placing a microorganism or cells and a fluid medium in the bioreactor.

The present invention relates to improved processes for culturing bacteria, in particular to processes for perfusion suspension culturing of bacteria in a fermenter, wherein the culture medium including the bacteria is circulated over a separation system in alternating tangential flow, wherein the separation system removes a filtrate containing inhibitory metabolites from the culture medium.

Bioreactors are disclosed that include a vessel, a jet mixing system comprising a plurality of jet flow agitators disposed in the vessel, each jet flow agitator comprising a shaft, a shroud surrounding the shaft, the shaft having a bore and a plurality of orifices in communication with the bore, and an impeller mounted on the shaft within the shroud, and a gas delivery system configured to supply a process gas to the vessel through the bore such that the gas exits the orifices. The vessel may include a vent, and the gas delivery system may include a source of oxygen in communication with the vessel, an oxygen monitor configured to monitor the oxygen content of a liquid in the vessel, and a controller configured to adjust the oxygen content of the liquid, using the vent and oxygen source, in response to input from the oxygen monitor.

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.

Described herein are compositions and methods relating to the bacterial production of industrially-useful carbon products from methane. In particular, the engineered bacteria described herein have been modified to increase the production sucrose. Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria (methanotrophs or MB) are a highly specialized group of microbes utilizing methane (e.g., CH4) as a sole source of carbon and energy. Methanotrophic bacteria function in nature by eliminating methane and retaining it in the carbon cycle. The biotechnological potential of MB has been of broad interest, ranging from bioremediation to large scale bacterial protein production.

In alternative embodiments, provided are biosensing bioreactors that detect normal, pre-cancer and cancer stem cells. In alternative embodiments, provided are bioreactors for primary human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell culture, manipulation and maintenance, which can comprise micro-peristaltic pumps to recapitulate blood flow. In alternative embodiments, provided are products of manufacture in the form of a bioreactor, or a nanobioreactor, or a customized cell culture bag with a defined three dimensional (3D) stromal microenvironment, and kits comprising them, and methods for making and using them. In alternative embodiments, the products of manufacture as provided herein, including the bioreactor, nanobioreactor, bag, customized cell culture bag and kits as provided herein, are used to and are capable of culturing, maintaining or supporting the culture of, and/or differentiating hematopoietic stem cells, including human hematopoietic stem cells, isolated from bone marrow or blood donors.

The present invention concerns the field of high-efficiency, quality-controlled production of blue-green algae for direct human consumption, for extraction of proteins, vitamins, and amino acids, and for production of organic materials loaded with the special isotope 13C. It is an object of the present invention to describe a high-efficiency photobioreactor.

Aspects and embodiments relate to a biological sample culture unit, a biological sample culture module comprising at least two biological sample culture units and culturing apparatus including a biological sample culture unit or biological sample culture module. Aspects and embodiments also provide methods to culture biological samples within a biological culture unit, biological culture module or biological culture apparatus. All aspects utilise a biological sample culture unit comprising a first chamber configured to accommodate a biological sample, culture medium and a gas reservoir; a second chamber configured to accommodate a reservoir of culture medium and a further gas reservoir, the second chamber comprising a gas port configured to couple the further gas reservoir to a gas source; an inlet conduit linking the second chamber with the first chamber configured to allow flow of fluid between the second chamber and the first chamber in dependence upon a pressure difference between the gas reservoirs in the second chamber and the first chamber. Aspects support provision of a small footprint biological sample culture environment which is highly scalable, which can sustain a culture environment with controllable conditions for an extended period and in which maintenance of, and testing a biological sample within, the culture environment can be automated, thus facilitating high throughput, minimal disruption to biological samples under study and improved reproducibility.

Described are systems, methods, and devices relating to normothermic extracorporeal support of an organ, tissue, or bioengineered graft comprising cross-circulation (XC) perfusion for prolonged periods (days to weeks) via an XC perfusion circuit in connection with an extracorporeal host (e.g., animal, patient, organ transplant recipient) are disclosed. The XC perfusion circuit comprises auto-regulation of blood flow based on the trans-organ blood pressure difference between arterial and venous pressure. Recipient support enabled 36 h of normothermic perfusion that maintained healthy lungs with no significant changes in physiologic parameters and allowed for the recovery of injured lungs. Extended support enabled multiscale therapeutic interventions in all extracorporeal lungs. Lungs exceeded transplantation criteria.

A flow path cassette, a cell culturing kit, and a cell culturing system are provided, which are capable of increasing a degree of freedom in the layout of the flow paths. A flow path cassette, in which flow paths are aggregated, is equipped with a first cassette main body in which flow paths are formed between resin sheets and a second cassette main body in which flow paths are formed between resin sheets, and a frame in which these elements are accommodated. In the frame, the first cassette main body is accommodated in a first accommodation space formed in a first direction, and the second cassette main body is accommodated in a second accommodation space formed in a second direction on an opposite side from the first direction.