A method for tuning optical measurements on continuously mixed reactors, wherein a content of the reactor has at least one optically detectable measured variable, which is carried out by at least one optical measuring arrangement, wherein at least one optical measurement is tuned to a form, distribution, or movement state of at least one phase of the reactor content, wherein mixing the reactor content causes local changes in the permittivity within the reactor, which is detected at at least one location having a known distance from the at least one optical measuring arrangement to be tuned based on a permittivity signal, and wherein the detected permittivity signal of at least one location having a known distance from the at least one optical measuring arrangement to be tuned is used to tune at least one optical measurement to the form, distribution, or movement state of the reactor content.

Systems and methods described herein provide a data presentation, assimilation and monitoring system for a biomanufacturing system utilizing an array of bioreactors for conducting biomanufacturing experiments. In embodiments, the experiments may be controlled by recipes that can be created and altered by credentialed users. During experiments, credentialled users may monitor operational parameters of the bioreactors conducting experiments as well as batch and group parameters across multiple bioreactors. Further, credentialled users may alter recipes to the exclusion of other credentialled users while editing. Further yet, specific checklists may be utilized to ensure that correct and suited equipment (such as bioreactors and experiment bays) are matched with an experiment plan.

A process for optimizing the operation of a plug-flow fermenter for the anaerobic fermentation of organic wastes, wherein the plug-flow fermenter comprises a horizontally oriented fermenter tank and a stirrer, which stirrer comprises a stirrer shaft which traverses the interior of the fermenter tank in an axial manner and multiple paddles which are arranged on the stirrer shaft and protrude radially and also a drive, and the fermentation material is moved in the fermenter tank by means of the stirrer.

The present invention provides a self-draining well plate cassette and an automated system for cultivating C. elegans comprising a housing, a well plate assembly having at least two of the self-draining well plate cassettes, a liquid dispensing assembly operated by a first three axes positioner, a wash and imaging assembly operated by a second three axis positioner, a reagent assembly, a pipette tip holder, and a controller. The present invention further provides a method of using the above-described system to cultivate C. elegans.

An improved cell culture monitoring system and method that detects cell growth and concentration in a dynamic environment of incubator/shaker. In order to reduce power consumption and make a wireless cell culture monitoring system practical, several methods of temperature compensation are used to replace a method of controlling the temperature of sensing module. Furthermore its power consumption can be significantly reduced by using an adaptive and synchronized light pulse detection technique.

A cell cultivation apparatus for cultivating microorganisms and growing cells at high density is provided. The apparatus includes a membrane comprising multiple surface features on a first side of the membrane for cell placement. The surface features comprising one or more compartments within which a cell can be located. The membrane includes a material that is at least partially permeable to gas. A second side of the membrane defines a gas region. The second side of the membrane is separated from the first side of the membrane by the membrane. The apparatus further includes a media region for receiving media. The compartments are configured to at least partially reduce media flow shear forces on one or more cells in the compartments. The surface features may be ridges, protrusions, fins, wells, and/or posts.

A biological cell preservation or culturing arrangement (20) comprises a chamber defining a fluid retaining space (30) for retaining in use a body of fluid (34) and a deformable membrane (36) in communication with the fluid retaining space, and being manipulable by an electroactive polymer actuator arrangement (38) to undergo a defined topology change to induce in the fluid a pattern of fluid flow by which fluid is exchanged between a sub-region (46) immediately proximal the deformable membrane and a sub-region (48) removed from the deformable membrane.

A method for operating an agitating device and a digester, wherein the digester is filled with a substrate and an agitating device is in the digester. These steps are performed: a) A target load curve is lodged in the control device; b) the control device prescribes a target rotation speed; c) the control device operates the agitating device at an actual speed corresponding to a target speed; d) the control device captures an actual agitating device torque measurement value at the actual speed of rotation; e) the control device derives from the actual measurement value an actual characteristic value of the agitating device applied torque; f) the control device compares the derived actual characteristic value against the target characteristic value of the substrate resulting from the target load curve at the prescribed target speed; and g) the control device controls the agitating device in dependence on the result of comparison.

A rotational dual chamber bioreactor for cell culture in bi- and multi-layered scaffolds, in the context of tissue engineering (TE) and regenerative medicine strategies is disclosed, which comprises at least two dual culture chambers, a multiposition magnetic stirrer plate, and at least two flow pumps coupled to a monitor device to register biochemical parameters such as pH, pO.sub.2, glucose and urea sensors and physical parameters like pressure. A central barrier, with a hole to insert the bilayer scaffold, is used to culture cells with different conditions in each compartment of the chamber, avoiding medium exchange. Each chamber can rotate 180 (horizontal), which is promoted by magnetic stirrers, the multiposition stirrer plate is adapted dimensionally to the culture plate dimensions and also allows 180 vertical rotation. Each dual chamber has detachable caps for the top and the bottom chambers, the top cap to compress the scaffold thereby providing compressive stimulus with torsion simultaneously.

A growth chamber system includes a power source and an inner chamber. An access opening is included to the inner chamber. An outer chamber surrounds at least one wall of the inner chamber. A temperature sensor is included which monitors the temperature inside the inner chamber. A heater and pump are fluidly connected to the outer chamber and a working fluid is circulated by the pump through the heater and outer chamber such that an increase in temperature of the working fluid produces a temperature increase within the inner chamber by contact of the working fluid with an outer surface with at least one wall of the inner chamber. A rotor blade is positioned within the inner chamber and connected to an electric motor. At least one controller is included and connected to the fluid heater, pump, and electric motor and configured to control temperature and rotation speed.