This disclosure describes hardware for microfluidic chips and an associated support module for facilitating operation of one or more microfluidic chips. The microfluidic chips described herein are designed for supporting multiple different tissue types, including kidney tissue, liver tissue, adipose cells, and so forth. Chip geometry facilities fluid flow through one or more channels of the chip with a particular flow rate. For example, shear forces are reduced where needed to ensure proper flow rate of fluid in the channels. The chamber geometry and the geometry of the channels ensures that a desired amount of oxygen is delivered to sample cells or tissues in a controlled manner.

A device for treatment of cells with particles is disclosed. The device includes a semi-permeable membrane positioned between two plates, the first plate defining a first flow chamber and comprising a port, a flow channel, a transverse port, and a transverse flow channel, the first flow chamber constructed and arranged to deliver fluid in a transverse direction along the first side of the semi-permeable membrane, the second plate defining a second flow chamber and comprising a port. A method for transducing cells is disclosed. The method includes introducing a fluid with cells and viral particles into a flow chamber adjacent a semi-permeable membrane such that the cells and the viral particles are substantially evenly distributed on the semi-permeable membrane. The method also includes introducing a recovery fluid to suspend the cells and the viral particles, and separating the cells from the viral particles. A method of activating cells is disclosed.

A cell culture apparatus is provided, including a storage tank including one or a plurality of cell culture units, in which the cell culture unit includes a culture chamber having an inner surface-side space in which a culture solution is stored, a permeable membrane having a first surface to which cells are adherable and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface facing the inner surface-side space, a culture solution storage chamber that stores the culture solution, a culture solution introduction flow path that introduces the culture solution in the culture solution storage chamber to the inner surface-side space, and a culture solution discharge flow path that sends, to the culture solution storage chamber, the culture solution which permeates through the membrane from the inner surface-side space and flows into an outer surface-side space that the second surface of the membrane faces.

In preferred embodiments, the subject invention provides two-vessel fermentation systems for producing microbe-based products comprising fungal mycelia and/or spores, and/or bacterial endospores, wherein the systems comprise both a submerged fermentation vessel and a solid state fermentation (SSF) vessel. Advantageously use of the two phases improves the efficiency of producing microorganisms by catering to the different requirements for biomass and/or vegetative cell accumulation as well as the requirements for mycelial growth and/or sporulation.

An inverted conical bioreactor is provided for growing cells or microorganisms. The bioreactor has an internal space and a perforated barrier within the vessel, through which a liquid may flow, where cells or microorganisms cannot pass through the perforated barrier. The perforated barrier divides the internal space of the bioreactor into a first chamber and a second chamber. Cells are grown within the second chamber and can be perfused by re-circulating the liquid, for example a growth medium, through the bioreactor. Various inlet ports and outlet ports allow controlling the parameters of flow of the growth medium.

Reactors, systems and processes for the production of biomass by culturing microorganisms in aqueous liquid culture medium circulating inner loop reactor which utilize nonvertical pressure reduction zones are described. Recovery and processing of the culture microorganisms to obtain products, such as proteins or hydrocarbons is described.

The invention relates to a buoyant photobioreactor arrangement, wherein the photobioreactor arrangement is buoyant on a surface water, and comprises a) a transparent photobioreactor container, b) a floating body that is buoyant on the surface water and c) a holding device arranged at or on the floating body holding the transparent photobioreactor container, the photobioreactor container being able to be lowered into the surface water by means of the holding device.

A method for treating an aqueous fluid containing a biodegradable organic substance in an installation that includes an upflow bioreactor containing a sludge bed, wherein the sludge bed includes biomass, an external separator, and a conditioning tank. The method includes treating the fluid in the conditioning tank; feeding the treated fluid into a lower part of the bioreactor and forming biogas; withdrawing the fluid from an upper part of the bioreactor, which withdrawn fluid includes biomass; feeding the aqueous fluid withdrawn from the upper part of the bioreactor into the external separator, wherein the aqueous fluid that includes the biomass is separated into a liquid phase and a fluid phase enriched in biomass; returning the fluid phase enriched in biomass from the external separator to the bioreactor; and returning a part of the liquid phase to the conditioning tank.

A system for processing cells is provided. The system can include a cell culture container, a fluid handling device, and one or more removable cell processing modules for performing one or more cell processing processes. The one or more removable cell processing modules can include a fluid handling pathway. The one or more removable cell processing modules can be fluidly connected to the cell culture container and the fluid handling device via a receptacle in which the cell processing modules may be inserted. The system can be a closed system.

A cell culturing system includes an enzyme sensor that detects a concentration of a predetermined component of a culture medium used for culturing of cells, a sensor flow path in which the enzyme sensor is disposed, and a bioreactor that performs culturing of cells while causing the culture medium to flow through the sensor flow path, and further includes a deterioration index calculation unit that determines a deterioration index of the enzyme sensor, based on a detected concentration value of the enzyme sensor, and a detection period during which the detected concentration value is detected, and a lifespan determination unit that detects whether or not an integrated value of the deterioration index has reached a threshold value, and thereby determines the lifespan of the enzyme sensor.