A culture apparatus is provided which can suppress condensation on walls of a culture space and the like to suppress adverse effects on a culture material. In the culture apparatus having a culture space formed in a heat insulating box main body, a humidification water reservoir for humidifying the culture space is disposed in the heat insulating box main body. A heat transfer condensation member in which a condensation portion at one end and a cooling portion at the other end are integrated is disposed such that the cooling portion is disposed outside the heat insulating box main body, while the condensation portion is disposed inside the culture space. The condensation portion is disposed so that condensed water on the surface thereof is led into the humidification water reservoir. The cooling portion has an electronic cooling element for cooling the cooling portion by the Peltier effect, to make moisture condensed on the condensation portion and a connection portion in the vicinity of thereof flow downward into the humidification water reservoir and repeatedly usable as humidification water.

An incubator for cell and tissue culture under controlled atmospheric conditions has a primary air flow control device that forms a primary, preferably laminar flow, air veil across an opening that allows access to the cells or tissue cultures disposed within the incubator. Preferably, most if not all of the air in the primary (laminar flow) air veil is recirculated, and a secondary air flow control device is used that forms a secondary, preferably laminar flow, air veil between the primary (laminar flow) air veil and a user of the incubator.

A culturing apparatus includes a housing that includes a culture chamber; a humidity sensor that detects humidity in the culture chamber; a protection member that prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber; and a control device that controls a decontamination device performing decontamination of the culture chamber. When the protection member prevents the humidity sensor from being exposed to the culture chamber, the control device causes the decontamination device to perform the decontamination, and when the humidity sensor is exposed to the culture chamber, the control device does not cause the decontamination device to perform the decontamination.

The invention relates to a device (1) for treating a flow of gas, for example of air, comprising a means (6) for dispersing a liquid in the form of droplets, preferably in the form of microdroplets, into said flow of gas to be treated, and an ultraviolet treatment means configured to subject the flow of gas to be treated to UV radiation. The UV treatment means is positioned downstream of the means (6) for dispersing a liquid in the form of droplets, and the UV treatment means is mounted inside a liquid-gas separation means (10) so as to separate the liquid present in the flow of gas when the flow of gas to be treated is subjected to the UV radiation.

A method includes placing a sample of cells, tissue, or an organ into an oxygen imaging system, circulating a humidified gas mixture around the tissue or organ, circulating conditioned air through the oxygen imaging system to maintain a temperature around the sample, and acquiring a three-dimensional oxygen map of the sample. The oxygen map provides a quantitative measure of cell viability and functionality.

The multifunctional microbial unit culture apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main module that generates a mixed gas by mixing carbon dioxide and oxygen and controls the temperature and humidity of the mixed gas, and a cultivation module that includes a cultivation unit for cultivating microorganisms using the mixed gas supplied from the main module, wherein the mixed gas can circulate between the main module and the cultivation module.

A bioreactor system for stem cell expansion has a fluid-filled reactor chamber in which stem cells are cultured. The culture compartment of the reactor chamber is transversed by a perfusion core with multiple niche-like scaffolds positioned along the length of the perfusion core. The bioreactor system also uses a media gas exchange module that is free standing and does not require its inclusion in a CO.sub.2 incubator.

The present invention provides a method of producing hydrogen from a waste material, comprising steps of fermenting 100 a fermentation mixture comprising the waste material in a reactor 1 with a headspace 1a under anaerobic conditions, removing 200 hydrogen from a gas from the headspace 1a during fermentation to produce a hydrogen gas and a remainder gas and recirculating 300 at least a portion of the remainder gas back to the headspace 1a. An apparatus for producing hydrogen and recirculating at least a portion of the remainder gas to the headspace 1a is also provided.

Apparatus, systems and methods are provided for the improved use of waste heat recovery systems which utilize the organic Rankine cycle (ORC) to generate mechanical and/or electric power from heat sources generating power from biofuel such as biogas produced during the anaerobic digestion process. Waste heat energy obtained from heat source(s) is provided to one or more ORC system(s) which may be operatively coupled to electric generator(s). A heat coupling subsystem provides the requisite condensation of ORC working fluid by transferring heat from ORC working fluid to another process or system, such as anaerobic digester tank(s), to provide heat energy that enhances the production of fuel for the prime mover(s) without requiring the consumption of additional energy for that purpose.

Disclosed is a process method for producing a single cell protein comprising the steps of (a) providing gaseous hydrogen (H2); (b) mixing the hydrogen gas from step (a) with a carbon source, to provide a C1 compound, such as methane, methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, methanethiol, or methanesulfonic acid, or derivates thereof; (c) adding or passing the C1 compound provided in step (b) to a loop reactor comprising one or more microorganisms capable of metabolizing the C1-compound providing an inoculated fermentation medium; (d) allowing the inoculated fermentation medium to ferment, in a fermentation process, and converting the C1 compound into a biomass material; and (e) isolating the biomass material provided in step (c) and providing the second single cell protein, wherein the carbon source is gaseous carbon monooxide (CO); gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2); or a combination hereof, or wherein the first carbon source is an aqueous solution of carbon dioxide, such as carbonic acid or a hydrogencarbonate or carbonate ion, or a combination thereof.