The invention is directed to a method for the in vitro production of arrangements of cell layers in which a first well (2.1) which is closed off from its environment except for a first inlet opening (4.1) and a first outlet opening (5.1) and which has as a first cell substrate (6.1) a first wall (2.1.1) and as a second cell substrate (6.2) an opposite, second wall (2.1.2) which is separated from the first wall (2.1.1) by a first gap, a free surface of a cell substrate (6.1, 6.2) to be colonized with cells is oriented orthogonal to the Earth's gravitational force, and cells (9) are adhered to the cell substrate (6.1, 6.2) to be colonized. The invention is further directed to a method of maintaining the biological functionalities of the cell layers and semi-finished products of a device for the in vitro production and culturing of cell layers and a method for the production of the device.

There is provided a method for easily determining an undifferentiated state of pluripotent stem cells without relying on the judgment of a skilled technician. The method includes: a step of evaluating an undifferentiated state of pluripotent stem cells based on a time-dependent change in a variation value of an extracellular metabolite contained in a culture medium in which the pluripotent stem cells are cultured, wherein the extracellular metabolite is at least one selected from a group consisting of L-glutamic acid, L-alanine and ammonia.

The invention provides integrated Organ-on-Chip microphysiological systems representations of living Organs and support structures for such microphysiological systems.

Provided herein are methods for identifying and treating cancers that are resistant to PARP inhibition. Methods for sensitizing cancers to a PARP inhibitor therapy are also provided. In some aspects. PARP inhibitor cancers are treated with a PARP inhibitor therapy in combination with a c-Met inhibitor therapy.

A cell picking device includes a supporter that supports a rack having a plurality of holes for holding a plurality of pipette tips, a sucker used to suck a sample, a driver that moves the sucker in an up-and-down direction and moves the sucker and the supporter relative to each other in a horizontal direction, and a controller that controls the driver such that, any pipette tip out of the plurality of pipette tips held by the rack is attached to the sucker by movement of the sucker in the up-and-down direction and the sucker is moved to a position outwardly of the rack by movement of the sucker and the supporter relative to each other.

Embodiments disclose a device for testing biological specimen. The device includes a sample carrier and a detachable cover. The sample carrier includes a specimen holding area. The detachable cover is placed on top of the specimen holding area. The detachable cover includes a magnifying component configured to align with the specimen holding area. The focal length of the magnifying component is from 0.1 mm to 8.5 mm. The magnifying component has a linear magnification ratio of at least 1. Some embodiments further include a multi-camera configuration. These embodiments include a first camera module and a second camera module arranged to capture one or more images of the first holding area and the second holding area, respectively. The processor may perform different analytic processes on the captured images of different holding areas to determine an outcome with regard to the biological specimen.

An inverted microwell provides rapid and efficient microanalysis system and method for screening of biological particles, particularly functional analysis of cells on a single cell basis. The use of an inverted open microwell system permits identification of particles, cells, and biomolecules that may be combined to produce a desired functional effect also functional screening of secreted antibody therapeutic activity as well as the potential to recover cells and fluid, and optionally expand cells, such as antibody secreting cells, within the same microwell.

An optical system for determining the concentration of a metabolic gas in a container sealed to biological contamination and enclosing a biological material. The optical system has a broadly tunable coherent infrared light source, a detection module, and a control system connected to the light source and detection module and operates the light source, to receive and analyze the data provided by said detection module, and to process the data indicative of the concentration of said metabolic gas in said sealed container.

In the automated method according to the invention for monitoring cell culture growth, in particular bacterial growth, a receiving dish (24) with a nutrient medium (38) is provided onto and/or into which is applied a cell culture, in particular a sample of human or animal tissue, such as blood, to which bacteria have been added and which also contains one or a plurality of reagents, in particular antibiotics. A microscope (10) having a camera (18) and an image acquisition plane adapted to be moved along the optical axis (20) is provided, and the receiving dish (24) is brought into the microscope (10) for monitoring a potential growth of the cell culture in the nutrient medium (38). At predetermined time intervals, in particular in the single-digit minute range, an image of the nutrient medium (38) is acquired using the camera (18) of the microscope (10) by moving the image acquisition plane along the optical axis (20) through the nutrient medium (38) by means of the movable slide (14) and/or the acquisition optic unit (16), one image per image acquisition plane is acquired, and from the group of acquired images the highest-contrast image of the nutrient medium (38) or an image of the nutrient medium (38) with a contrast sufficient for the subsequent automatic further processing of the image is automatically selected and stored, where required, by means of an image evaluation software. By means of the image evaluation software the size of the area occupied by the cell culture is automatically determined on the basis of the selected image. On the basis of the sizes of the areas occupied by the cell culture of the respective selected images it is determined whether the cell culture is growing or not.

The present subject matter discloses various exemplary projective capacitive micro structured electrode arrays for measuring the impedance and action potential of living cells in particular induced pluripotent stem cells that are subsequently differentiated into cardiomyocytes and neurons. In one exemplary system a projective capacitive electrode array with cardiomyocytes attached onto the electrodes is formed and electrical measurements of live cell responses when exposed to external stimulants, such as small molecule drugs or biologically active compounds is recorded.