An optofluidic photoreactor including an optical waveguide having an input, characterized by an evanescent optical field confined along an outer surface of the optical waveguide produced by radiation propagating in the optical waveguide, means for inputting light to the input of the optical waveguide, and a photoactive material disposed substantially only within the evanescent field. A method for optically activating a photoactive material in an optofluidic photoreactor to convert carbon dioxide and water into other molecules that may be useful as a fuel or a chemical feedstock.

Apparatus 101 for producing a continuous stream of biohydrogen includes a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR) 12, lighting arrangement 13; ports 14; peristaltic pumps 16; and gas chromatograph (GC) 18. The CSTR 12 includes internal bioreactor chamber 20; a photosynthesizing microorganism inlet stream 22.1 for delivering Chlorella vulgaris; an organic waste inlet stream 22.2 for delivering wastewater activated sludge (WWAS); and a nutrient inlet stream 22.3 for delivering nutrients into the chamber 20; an outlet stream 24; and stirrers for stirring the contents of the chamber. The lighting 13 is provided by lamps 26 for transmitting light through a transparent sidewall of the chamber 20. The ports 14 and CG 18 are for taking measurements from the chamber 20. The pumps 16 control flowrate of the streams 22.1, 22.2, 22.3 and 24 for regulating biohydrogen production from fermentation while Chlorella vulgaris consumes oxygen to avoid biohydrogen conversion into methane.

A cell observation system has: a part for a culturing container to be placed, the culturing container having a surface where cells are culturable and an optically transparent side face forming a peripheral wall of the surface; a light emission unit configured to irradiate the surface with irradiation light from the side face; and an image capturing unit configured to capture images of the surface and has at least any of features (a) controlling variation in an amount of light of the irradiation light, the surface being irradiated with the irradiation light, and the variation being due to absorption of light by a medium in the culturing container and (b) correcting an effect caused by variation in an amount of light of the irradiation light, the surface being irradiated with the irradiation light, and the variation being due to absorption of light by a medium in the culturing container.

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 cell culture system includes: a cell culture apparatus including: a placement table placing a culture vessel having a culture surface on which cell culture is viable and a side surface forming a peripheral wall around the culture surface, the side surface being optically transparent; a supply pipe allowing liquid to be supplied into the culture vessel; and a discharge pipe allowing liquid to be discharged from the culture vessel; an image pickup portion allowing observation of the culture surface; and a light irradiation portion emitting illumination light toward the side surface, wherein the supply pipe and the discharge pipe are arranged so that an openings thereof are located in proximity to points on an inner side surface of the culture vessel, which define a width of the culture surface in a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the illumination light.

Disclosed is a photobioreactor system that reduces pollutant gases, mainly ammonia and carbon dioxide, released in poultry houses with microalgae and reduces dust and particulate matter in the internal environment of the poultry house, and also creates a brighter and more spacious environment for animals in the internal environment, while creating an insulation effect on the exterior of the poultry house by integrating into the exterior wall.

A device and method for detecting the level of foam in a reactor vessel monitors the intensity of the light of the movement of the light detected by a camera. The camera monitors at least one light source positioned inside the reactor vessel or viewable through the reactor vessel.

A method for quality evaluation includes emitting measurement light having a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 2,000 nm or less to a cell mass and acquiring a plurality of light intensity information corresponding to each of a plurality of measuring positions in the cell mass, generating a feature amount from a variation of the acquired plurality of light intensity information, and evaluating quality of the cell mass using the generated feature amount as an index.

In some embodiments, the systems and methods of the disclosure can provide high-throughput, programmable, and fully automatized tissue and/or cell culture and analysis platforms. In some embodiments, a culture analysis system may include a culture device that includes a cover configured to be secured to a main body, which may include one or more chambers. The cover may include one or more regions that overlaps with the one or more chambers of the main body when the cover is secured to a main body so that each region corresponds to a chamber of the main body. The cover may also include a fluidic pathway disposed in each region and configured be in fluidic communication with a corresponding chamber. Each fluidic pathway may include a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet disposed in each region. The cover may also include an optical pathway disposed in each region for the corresponding chamber.

Apparatus 101 for producing a continuous stream of biohydrogen includes a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR) 12, lighting arrangement 13; ports 14; peristaltic pumps 16; and gas chromatograph (GC) 18. The CSTR 12 includes internal bioreactor chamber 20; a photosynthesizing microorganism inlet stream 22.1 for delivering Chlorella vulgaris; an organic waste inlet stream 22.2 for delivering wastewater activated sludge (WWAS); and a nutrient inlet stream 22.3 for delivering nutrients into the chamber 20; an outlet stream 24; and stirrers for stirring the contents of the chamber. The lighting 13 is provided by lamps 26 for transmitting light through a transparent sidewall of the chamber 20. The ports 14 and CG 18 are for taking measurements from the chamber 20. The pumps 16 control flowrate of the streams 22.1, 22.2, 22.3 and 24 for regulating biohydrogen production from fermentation while Chlorella vulgaris consumes oxygen to avoid biohydrogen conversion into methane.