One or more light sources may apply stimuli to a colony of organisms. The stimuli may include visible and non-visible light. The stimuli, taken together, may tend to favor survival of organisms that are adapted to perform photosynthesis which involves absorbing energy from infrared or ultraviolet light. In some cases, the set of stimuli may include illuminating the entire colony of organisms with green light, illuminating only a first portion of the colony with pulsed ultraviolet light, and illuminating only a second portion of the colony with pulsed infrared light.

The invention relates to a bioreactor (100) which is designed for cultivating biological cells (1), comprising a container (10) configured to receive a cultivation medium (2), and a plurality of substrate filaments (20) which are arranged in the container (10) and are configured for a temporary adherent coupling of the biological cells (1) to the substrate filaments (20). The substrate filaments (20) are provided with a surface layer (21) which is switchable between an adherence state, in which the biological cells (1) can be QI coupled adherently to the surface layer (21), and a release state, in which the adherent coupling of the biological cells (1) to the surface layer (21) is reduced in comparison to the binding state. The invention also relates to a method for processing biological cells (1) in the bioreactor (100).

A bioreactor may comprise a head-plate configured to provide coupling features to attach selected components to the bioreactor. The bioreactor may also comprise impeller and sparger, and the sparger is positioned at a pre-determined distance from the impeller based at least in part on a spatial configuration of the head-plate. The bioreactor further comprises a vessel defining a hollow enclosure for receiving a culture medium, and an opening of the vessel is covered by the head-plate.

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.

A method of removing nitrogen-bound nitrate from at least one of groundwater, surface water, or waste water is disclosed. The method includes providing contaminant-containing water from groundwater, surface water, and/or waste water sources. The method further includes adding the contaminant-containing water to an algal photobioreactor system. The method further includes adding an alga culture to the alga photobioreactor system. The method further includes adjusting temperature, CO.sub.2 concentration, pH, light wavelength, and/or light intensity in the algal photobioreactor system to optimize the growth of the algae. The method further includes separating the algae from the water and harvesting algal biomass.

In some variations, a UV-sterilizable bioreactor system comprises: a chamber configured to carry out a reaction; a component configured for introducing a gas into the chamber; and one or more UV light sources configured to expose ultraviolet light to surfaces within the chamber. Some variations provide a method of cleaning and sterilizing a bioreactor, comprising: providing a bioreactor system with a chamber to carry out a reaction, a component for introducing a gas into the chamber, and one or more UV light sources to expose ultraviolet light to chamber surfaces; cleaning the chamber; and exposing the chamber to UV radiation to sterilize the chamber. The disclosed technology is a fundamental advance in the field of sparged bioreactors, for many types of commercial fermentations. The bioreactor may incorporate materials that are expressly incompatible with steam sterilization, which allows for the use of lower-cost materials, among many other benefits from UV sterilization.

Disclosed is a cell collection device with which switching and seeing microscope images with different magnifications can be attained in one-touch without rotating a revolver. The cell collection device includes an optical system to observe cells contained in a transparent vessel under magnification. The optical system includes a first optical system to observe the cells from upper side and a second optical system to observe the cells from lower side. The first optical system and the second optical system have different magnifications, and the optical axis of the first optical system and the optical axis of the second optical system are coincident.

A bioreactor includes a fixed bed for culturing cells and a sensor system for sensing a density of the cells in the fixed bed. The sensor may be selected from the group comprising: (a) a sensor for measuring impedance across at least a portion of the fixed bed; (b) a flowmeter for detecting a rate of flow of liquid associated with the fixed bed; (c) a sensor for measuring a pressure differential in a flow of liquid through the fixed bed; (d) a monitor, such as a light sensor or microscope, for detecting light from a light source for projecting light on or in the fixed bed, wherein the detected or measured characteristic is indicative of cell density in the fixed bed; (e) a chemical sensor within the fixed bed for detecting a chemical indicative of cell density in the fixed bed. Related sensor arrangements, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

A bioreactor for producing hydrogen gas and other metabolites. The bioreactor utilizes light, fermentation, and other metabolic processes for the production of metabolites, derived from various microorganisms contained within the bioreactor through respective metabolic pathways. The bioreactor comprises a main reactor chamber, a semipermeable membrane, a sleeve, a power supply, a substrate medium, a heating member, a plurality of tubing members, a collection reservoir, a pressure-sealed connecter member, and an agitator.

A bioreactor including a containment structure containing a liquid culture medium for cultivating seaweed. The containment structure includes a sidewall extending vertically between a top and bottom section where the bottom section has an effluent arranged to allow extraction of cultivated seaweed. A spiral liner is positioned adjacent to an inside surface of the sidewall. The recirculator includes a pump arranged to continuously receive a portion of the liquid culture medium via an inlet from the bottom section and output the liquid culture medium via the outlet at the top section. Sensors monitor environmental conditions within the bioreactor. Light emitters are arranged along a surface of the spiral liner. Flow generators, positioned within the containment structure in a spiral configuration between the top section and bottom section, are configured to direct a flow of the liquid culture medium from the top section toward the bottom section of the containment structure.