A fluidic device for culturing cells includes a microplate and plate lid. The microplate includes multiple wells and channels, the channels extending between the wells such that the channels interconnect the wells. The plate lid releasably engages the microplate to thereby enclose the wells and the channels. The wells include a culture surface such that a cell culture medium received therein is deposited over the culture surface. At least one channel that extends between adjacent ones of the wells is spaced from the culture surfaces of the adjacent wells defining a gap between the at least one channel and the culture surfaces of the adjacent wells for collection of the cell culture medium.

The present invention relates to an in vitro method for creating a viable connective tissue and/or osseous tissue obtained by tribological solicitations of a biological culture. It further relates to a viable connective tissue and/or osseous tissue susceptible to be obtained by said method as well as to the use of said method or viable connective tissue and/or osseous tissue to prepare a biological implant.

A tool for the distribution of a sample of biological or microbiological material, the tool including an elongated body, provided with a first portion and a second portion; a distributing element, the distributing element being configured at least for distributing a sample of biological or microbiological material on a culture medium; a connector being configured for allowing the joining of the tool with a supporting element of a machine configured for carrying out a distribution of a sample of biological or microbiological material, in particular of a pipetting machine; wherein the connector is adapted and specifically configured for being removably coupled to a supporting element in alternative to another tool, in particular to a tip or pipette for the collection and/or deposit of the sample of biological or microbiological material.

An in vitro three-dimensional multicellular system for maintaining tissue such as heart tissue (e.g. human or other animal heart slices) under physiological conditions is provided. Heart tissue that is cultured using the system remains full viable and functional for at least 6 days. The system is thus suitable to continuously monitor the effects of drugs (e.g. cardiotoxicity) during in vitro testing.

A cell culturing system includes a docking station, a handling unit, a culturing module and an actuation layer. The culturing module has a culturing well and a culturing membrane separating the culturing well in an apical culturing chamber and a basal culturing chamber. The handling unit removably accommodates the culturing module and the actuation layer. The docking station has a coupling structure for removably holding the handling unit in a predefined position and an actuation feeding channel, wherein, when the handling unit is held by the coupling structure in the predefined position, a first end of the actuation feeding channel is connected to the actuation bore and a second end of the actuation feeding channel is connected to a connector.

A system for incubating one or more cells and/or organotypic cultures for biological investigation, in particular for toxicology assessment, comprising a bio-incubator and a pressure system fluidly connected with the bio-incubator. The pressure system is a cyclic gas pressure system configured for cyclically varying the gas pressure in the bio-incubator between a negative pressure and a positive pressure compared to the atmospheric pressure, so as to reproduce the pressure conditions in lungs of a living mammal. The system is remarkable in that the cyclic gas pressure system comprises a feedthrough with a pipe configured to deviate the air influx from the one or more cells and/or organotypic cultures.

Various cardio tissue testing wells with an actuable attachment structure therein, and testing systems incorporating such wells therein. The various well embodiments can include an actuable attachment structure that is actuated by external energy, such as a magnetic field, fluidic pressure, or electrical actuation. The various system embodiments can include a controller, a power source, and a testing plate containing a plurality of wells, wherein each well includes an actuable attachment structure.

A method and device for transfecting a cell to introduce an exogenous material into the cell. The method includes exposing the cell to a region of unsteady flow in the presence of an electric field to encourage introduction of the exogenous material into a cell without lysing the cell.

The present invention relates to a method and system for introducing one or more exogenous substances into an immune cell. The method comprises the steps of: providing a membrane having a plurality of pores configured to allow the immune cell to pass through, wherein the plurality of pores has an average pore diameter which is no less than an average diameter of the immune cell nucleus and no more than an average diameter of the immune cell, passing a fluid containing the immune cell and the on e or more exogenous substances through the plurality of pores to induce a mechanical stress to the immune cell and facilitate introduction of the one or more exogenous substances into the immune cell, and recirculating the fluid containing the immune cell and the one or more exogenous substances such that the same immune cell passes through the membrane more than once. In some embodiments, the immune cell is T-cells and the exogenous substance is mRNA.

Methods for characterizing mechanical properties of cells at different stress levels. The disclosed inventions can determine the impact of shear stress on cells in bioproduction processes.