Embodiments described herein relate generally to devices, apparatuses, and systems with embedded electrodes for rowing, maintaining, and/or using 3D tissues in vitro. The devices, apparatuses, and systems described herein can provide scalable, automated tissue stimulation.

Disclosed is the design, fabrication, and characterization of a novel system comprising a parallel set of nanopore microneedles (NPMs) for cell transfection through controlled nanoelectroporation (NEP) and electrophoretic insertion of genetic materials.

Methods and systems for generating three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissues (ETs), and for electrical stimulation of same, are provided. Provided is an ET assembly comprising an ET lid with first post and second post assemblies coupled thereto. Provided is a casting assembly comprising the ET assembly and a casting plate. Provided are stimulation methods and systems for stimulating tissue constructs.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a technique for sequential electroporation that provides for a delivery of multiple electrical pulses separated in time to cells, cell particles, lipid vesicles, liposomes, or to increase efficiency of entry of one or more agents of interest into cells, cell particles, lipid vesicles, liposomes, tissues, or derivatives thereof, and to minimize damage by electrical arc or heat shock; increase loading efficiency of an agent of interest; and maintain viability of the cells, cell particles, lipid vesicles, or tissues and the ability of the cells, cell particles, lipid vesicles, liposomes, or tissues to produce a clinical effect.

A disposable, fabrication-free, high-volume electroporation device may process cell samples of large volume without compromising transformation efficiency and cell viability, while precipitously reducing the entire processing time and effort. An embodiment includes at least two hollow, tubular conductive elements and an insulating structure, defining a channel, that fluidically couples the at least two conductive elements to define an electroporation flow path in the channel for flow-through electroporation. The high-volume electroporation device can be an alternative to cuvettes for typical volume electroporation, but can also be an indispensable tool to process large volume samples for applications, such as creation of modified sample libraries.

Compositions and methods are provided for modulating the growth, development and repair of bone, cartilage or other connective tissue. Devices and stimulus waveforms are provided to differentially modulate the behavior of osteoblasts, chondrocytes and other connective tissue cells to promote proliferation, differentiation, matrix formation or mineralization for in vitro or in vivo applications. Continuous-mode and pulse-burst-mode stimulation of cells with charge-balanced signals may be used. Bone, cartilage and other connective tissue growth is stimulated in part by nitric oxide release through electrical stimulation and may be modulated through co-administration of NO donors and NO synthase inhibitors. Bone, cartilage and other connective tissue growth is stimulated in part by release of BMP-2 and BMP-7 in response to electrical stimulation to promote differentiation of cells. The methods and devices described are useful in promoting repair of bone fractures, cartilage and connective tissue repair as well as for engineering tissue for transplantation.

The present invention delivers a substance such as a reagent into a cell. A tubular body coated with an electroconductive polymer for introducing a substance into a cell and/or recovering a substance from a cell. The use of a tubular body coated with an electroconductive polymer to introduce a substance into a cell and/or recover a substance from a cell. A device for introducing a substance into a cell and/or recovering a substance from a cell, the device being equipped with a substrate and a tubular body coated with an electroconductive polymer, and the tubular body being positioned on the substrate. A system for introducing a substance into a cell and/or recovering a substance from a cell, the system being equipped with the abovementioned device, a voltage supply unit for supplying a voltage, and, as needed, electrodes.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a three-dimensional ex vivo skeletal muscle tissue comprising a hydrogel and a plurality of cells that includes skeletal muscle cells, at least a portion of the cells being encapsulated inside the hydrogel. In some embodiments, the skeletal muscle tissue is characterized by one or more contractions in response to an electrical and/or chemical stimulation.

A well plate comprises a plate main body and at least one cavity in an upper side of the plate main body. An upwardly open annular channel is formed in the at least one cavity, the annular channel being delimited at an inner circumference thereof by a closed circumferential wall. A horizontal outer circumference of the circumferential wall decreases from bottom to top up to an upper edge of the circumferential wall. Within the horizontal circumference of the circumferential wall, at its upper edge, at least two retaining elements connect upwardly to the upper edge of the circumferential wall. The at least two retaining elements are at a free horizontal distance to one another, and at least one of the at least two retaining elements is elastically supported at the plate main body in horizontal direction.

An intracellular delivery system and method are provided. The intracellular delivery system comprises a laser-activated surface and cells positioned at a distance from the laser-activated surface. A laser provided a laser pulse that is used to porate membranes of the cells to deliver or extract cargo from the cells into a liquid surrounding the cells. The method of intracellular delivery comprises positioning a laser-activated surface at a distance from cells and applying a laser pulse from the laser to the surface to porate membranes of the cells to deliver or extract cargo from the cells into a liquid surrounding the cells.