The invention, in part, includes systems for conducting continuous directed evolution in a plurality of sample and methods of using the systems. The invention, in part also provides systems for evaluating the suitability of diverse engineered cells to accomplish directed evolution and methods of use of such systems.

Aspects of the invention are directed to a system and method of sparging an algae cultivation container. The method may include controlling at least one first sparger to distribute a first fluid into the container at a first operating flow rate; and controlling at least one second sparger to distribute a second fluid into the container at a second operating flow rate. The first operating flow rate may be adapted to allow mixing the algae in the cultivation container, and the second operating flow rate may be adapted to allow assimilation of materials in a liquid in the cultivation container.

Methods and systems for preparing clonal cell populations are described. In some instances the disclosed methods comprise: a) identifying and selecting a cell based on its position on a surface or in a container, where the selection is not based on whether the cell comprises an exogenous label or an expressed reporter; b) photoablating all non-selected cells on the surface or in the container; and c) growing a clonal population of the selected cell.

An automatic processing device of culture plates including a support frame; a slide for removably housing a culture plate and movably mounted on the support frame selectively displaceable between a first loading position, a plurality of image-acquiring positions, and a first unloading position; a camera of a linear type, provided with a telecentric optic and a trilinear sensor, and arranged to acquire a multiplicity of linear images of corresponding linear portions of an upper surface of the culture plate, during the displacing of the slide; a first lighting device orientated such as to illuminate the linear portions of an upper surface of the culture plate; an advancing device of the slide configured such as to enable obtaining a constant and substantially vibration-free advancing speed of the slide in the image-acquiring zone; and an electronic control device of a functioning of the camera, of the lighting device and of the advancing device.

A lighting device and incubator for microalgae growth experiments. The device includes at least one light source having light emitting diodes for illuminating microalgae, and a control unit configured to control the switching on and off of the light emitting diodes and to vary the light intensity of the light emitting diodes. The light source includes RGB LEDs, and each RGB LED has a housing that houses a red light emitting diode, a green light emitting diode, a blue light emitting diode and a microcontroller that communicates with the control unit to vary the light intensity of the red light emitting diode, the green light emitting diode and the blue light emitting diode of the RGB LED, such that the color and intensity of the light emitted by each RGB LED are modified by the control unit.

Devices for monitoring a bioreactor are configured for in-situ or ex-situ analysis. Noise from polarization dependent loss is addressed with a polarizer and reference photodetector for detecting a swept wavelength signal from a tunable laser spectrometer after transmission on a optical fiber but before a sample detection region.

A cell culture apparatus includes a flow passage in which cell suspension containing at least one of cells or cell masses as granular bodies is to flow, and an imaging unit that is provided in a middle of the flow passage and continuously images the plurality of granular bodies contained in the cell suspension to acquire a plurality of images while the cell suspension flows in the flow passage.

A light source module includes a wiring board and a LED array electrically connected to the wiring board. The LED array can be driven to emit a first group of emission peaks in 300 nm.sub.max<450 nm, a second group of emission peaks in 450 nm.sub.max<550 nm, and a third group of emission peaks in 550 nm for matching the spectrum of sunlight underwater. When the maximum peak intensity of the emission peaks in the second group is taken as 1.0, the peak intensity I.sub.a of each emission peak in the first group is in a range of 0<I.sub.a0.9, and the peak intensity I.sub.b of each emission peak in the third group is in a range of 0<I.sub.b0.9. Accordingly, the light source module is suitable for aquatic species and can enhance growing rate of the aquatic species.

An apparatus to prevent bio-filming during the delivery of photonic energy to a culture or set of organisms in a fluid culture medium, the device including a culture medium, a container configured to house the culture medium, and an assembly to generate and deliver a liquid energy transfer medium between the culture medium and the photonic device, the assembly including one or more apertures sized and shaped to form one or more liquid replenishing lenses and a fluid-light unit in the container to house the photonic device and the liquid energy transfer medium, the photonic device is at least one from among a photoreceptor, a photoemitter, or a combination of the photoreceptor and the photoemitter, and further including a pump coupled to the fluid-light unit, the assembly is configured to convey the photonic energy between the photonic device and the culture medium through the liquid energy transfer medium.

A supporting device for an image capturing device on a bioreactor, a bioreactor, and a method of use are provided. The supporting device for an image capturing device includes a window and a holder. The window has a transparent element that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation. The holder is configured to hold the image capturing device. The supporting device is held at least partially in a through-opening of a feedthrough of a container for holding fluid media containing biological material. The window seals the through-opening.