A cell population (55) is cultured on a cell culture substrate (50) while agents contained in agent reservoirs (31, 33, 35) at predefined positions in a culture container (10) diffuse through the substrate (50) and form at least partly overlapping concentration gradients in the substrate (50) within combination areas (41, 43, 45) and substantially non-overlapping concentration gradients in the substrate (50) peripheral to an outer boundary of the agent reservoirs (31, 33, 35). Inhibition end points (61, 63, 65) of respective inhibition zones (60, 62, 64) substantially lacking any growth of the cell population (55) peripheral to the outer boundary of the agent reservoirs (31, 33, 35) and growth end points (71, 73, 75) of respective growth zones (70, 72, 74) comprising growth of the cell population (55) within the combination areas (41, 43, 45) are determined and used to determine interaction effects between the agents on the cell population (55).

The embodiments provide a bioengineered artificial functional liver which is connected to a patient suffering from acute liver failure and would functional like an ectopic liver. The device uses the cells derived from the patient's own body thereby nullifying the chances of self/non-self-recognition and related immune activation and rejection. The extracted liver cells are grown on a customized 3D matrix called as 3D cell cartridge and these cell cartridges individually function as miniature liver assemblies. Multiple such assemblies when working in parallel would rescue the condition of liver failure. A microfluidic chamber is built with the similar network as found in the liver and the chamber has flow circuits for plasma/de-cellularised blood and the flow circuits are lined by a coculture of hepatocytes, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. The array of cells in the chamber serve as a miniature liver and multiple such arrays will be stacked to achieve a significant hepatic function.

Disclosed is a device for the culture of cells, which device is able to support and/or maintain the cells within an environment which mimics one or more in vivo environmental condition(s). Using these devices, cells can be cultured or maintained under conditions which ensure that the cells behave and respond substantially as they would in vivo. Further, the cells can be stimulated or exposed to exogenous agents (drugs and the like) and any response determined to be one which is indicative of an in vivo response.

Provided are new strategies, methods and systems, described herein as vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-assisted air-liquid-interface (ALI) culture, to significantly increase the number of enteroendocrine (EEC) and enterochromaffin (EC) cells over the traditional submerged culture, while at the same time maintaining a high barrier integrity of monolayers. The new strategies, methods and systems overcome the limitations of the existing EEC enrichment methods by maintaining high cell viability and barrier integrity and without requiring complicated procedures of cocultures or genetic engineering/induction. The created EEC-enriched, contiguous monolayer platform acts as a robust analytical tool to enable functional studies of hormone secretion from EEC cells with high signal background ratio and repeatability.

Described herein is a microfluidic chip comprising a first channel in fluid communication with an adjacent second channel through a opening, wherein the height of the first channel and the second channel are chosen to generate sufficient surface tension at the opening such that a liquid injected into the first channel or the second channel is substantially confined within the first channel or the second channel, respectively, or that flow of the liquid therebetween is controlled, the surface tension producing a non-physical microfluidic barrier that limits or selectively controls passage of the liquid. Also described are in vitro microphysiological systems that use such microfluidic chips in modeling the structure and functions of human organs, such as a blood-brain barrier, and studying in vivo-like physiological responses of such organs to various investigative or therapeutic agents.

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.

Disclosed are kits for at least partly liquefying tissue. The kit may include a liquefaction promoting medium (LPM). The LPM may include a non-ionic surfactant; a zwitterionic surfactant; and an abrasive material. The kit may include instructions. The instructions may direct a user to treat a tissue of a living subject by: applying the LPM together with the abrasive material to the tissue of the living subject; and transmitting energy to the tissue of the living subject through the abrasive material in the presence of the LPM effective to cause at least partial dissolution of one or more components of the tissue of the living subject.

The present disclosure provides automated modules and instruments for improved detection of nuclease genome editing of live cells. The disclosure provides improved modules—including high throughput modules—for screening cells that have been subjected to editing and identifying and selecting cells that have been properly edited.

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.

A cell culture apparatus includes: a cylindrical member that includes a body cylindrical portion and a culture membrane arranged at an opening end portion of the body cylindrical portion; and a cylindrical covering member that is fitted to the body cylindrical portion and includes (i) a first cylindrical portion which covers an outer circumferential surface of the body cylindrical portion when fitted to the cylindrical member and (ii) a second cylindrical portion which is adjacent to the first cylindrical portion in an axial direction of the covering member and forms a container with the culture membrane serving as a bottom surface when fitted to the cylindrical member, and the first cylindrical portion includes a first part in which a length in the axial direction is a first length and a second part in which the length is a second length shorter than the first length.