A method of characterizing and monitoring a pressing process includes acquiring online Raman spectra of a juice pressing process within a vessel at different times during the pressing process to generate a training data set; acquiring physical samples from pressing process near in time to the acquired Raman spectra; performing offline measurements of the target analyte properties and/or compositions using an assay measurement technique; generating a correlative model of the target analyte such that spectral changes in the training data set correlate with the offline measurements of the target analyte properties and/or compositions; acquiring online Raman spectra of a subsequent run of the pressing process within the vessel at different times during the run to generate a process data set; and applying the correlative model to the process data set to qualitatively and/or quantitatively predict a value of a property and/or composition of the target analyte.

In order to induce aging while cutting the costs associated with adding cytokines at different aging stages, in a system for aging induction including a first culture chamber for perfusing, with a culture medium, a subject of aging-induction, the subject of aging-induction being derived from a living organism; a second culture chamber for perfusing, with a culture medium, a secretor that secretes a cytokine; and a control device for aging induction including a detection unit, a memory unit and a control unit, a protocol for aging induction defining a procedure of aging induction is stored, and in the control unit, an aging state of the subject of aging-induction is detected with a detection unit, and based on the protocol for aging induction, a flow rate at which the culture medium containing the cytokine secreted by the secretor is supplied to the subject of aging-induction is controlled according to the aging state of the subject of aging-induction.

A bioproduction mixer control system includes a mixing compartment having a biological fluid and a mixing element; a sensor in communication with the mixing compartment, the sensor configured to detect an environmental condition within the mixing compartment; and an integrated control unit. The integrated control unit includes a memory for storing the environmental condition, sensor information relating to the sensor, and process workflow information; a user interface comprising a display depicting a bioproduction workspace, wherein the bioproduction workspace comprises a process workflow title and a plurality of bioprocess modules; and a central processing unit in electronic communication with the sensor, memory and user interface.

An automated cell culture system with one or more pumps configured to operate on a duty cycle prevents excess heat generation, allowing the cell culture system to operate inside a conventional incubator without overheating. The duty cycle involves switching the pump between on and off modes. By running pumps for a short period of time and then shutting them off, less heat is produced. To account for the reduced pumping time during the cycle, the pump can be run at a higher flow rate while it is on, so that the average flow rate over the course of the cycle is not reduced. Systems of the invention employ duty cycles in which the on-cycle is shorter than the off-cycle, and particularly where the on-cycle is less than 20% of the duration of the entire duty cycle.

Disclosed herein is an instrument suitable for processing cells for example culturing, concentrating or washing said cells, the instrument comprising: a housing for accommodating mechanical elements including at least one fluid pump; and a disposable processing kit complementary to the mechanical elements within the housing and comprising a fluid circuit including a fluid reservoir and plural fluid paths capable of carrying fluid flow caused by said pump(s), the instrument further including a mechanism for determining the quantity, or change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir resulting from said fluid flow, the instrument yet further comprising a controller operable to control at least the pump and operable to perform a fault determination process, which includes the steps of determining the expected flow rate of said pump(s) calculated from the speed of the pump(s) and comparing that expected flow with the change in quantity of the fluid in the reservoir as determined by said mechanism.

A computer-implemented method for simulating a cell culture process is provided. The method includes: obtaining measurable parameter values that are measured with respect to at least one operation of the cell culture process, the measurable parameter values being values of measurable parameters in a model of the cell culture process, wherein one or more of the measurable parameters relate to one or more operating conditions of the cell culture process; estimating, using Bayesian inference with the obtained measurable parameter values, values of unmeasurable parameters in the model, wherein the model describes the cell culture process with coupled ordinary differential equations including the measurable parameters and the unmeasurable parameters, wherein one or more of the unmeasurable parameters relate to lysed cells in the cell culture process; receiving one or more new measurable parameter values relating to said one or more operating conditions of the cell culture process; simulating the cell culture process using: the model of the cell culture process; the estimated values of the unmeasurable parameters in the model; and the received one or more new measurable parameter values.

There is provided an operation method for an information processing apparatus, the operation method being performed by a processor, the operation method including: an acquisition process for acquiring pieces of annotation information added to each of a plurality of biomarkers related to biological samples; a deriving process for deriving an evaluation value of each of the plurality of biomarkers on the basis of the pieces of annotation information; and a selection process for selecting on the basis of the evaluation value, measurement target biomarkers from among the plurality of biomarkers.

The invention relates to a fermenter vessel (1) of a biogas plant, having at least one height-adjustable agitator (8), wherein the agitator (8), in the fermenter vessel (1), is guided with a guide element (17) on a guide rail (9) oriented approximately vertically in a vertical axis direction and is held in height-adjustable fashion by means of a traction cable (10). According to the invention, a traction force measuring device (22; 25) is provided for directly and/or indirectly measuring the traction force on the traction cable (10) in accordance with a cable tension, such that, by means of the traction force measuring device (22; 25), in the case of a preferably controlled height adjustment of the agitator (8), varying traction force measurement signals are generated in accordance with varying traction forces and are supplied to an evaluation device (20).

A fluidic cartridge comprises a fluidic disk having a plurality of alignment openings; a fluidic chip comprising a body, one or more channels formed in the body in fluidic communications with input ports and output ports for transferring one or more fluids between the input ports and the output ports, and a plurality of protrusions formed on the body and received in the alignment openings of the fluidic disk for aligning the fluidic chip to the fluidic disk; an actuator operably engaging with the one or more channels for selectively and individually transferring the one or more fluids through the one or more channels from at least one of the input ports to at least one of the output ports at desired flow rates; and a tube member defining a cylindrical housing for accommodating the fluidic disk, the fluidic chip and the actuator therein.

A docking device for receiving a portable device. The docking device includes a base including a substantially planar upper surface for supporting a portable device. The docking device includes an array of a plurality of engagement members. Each engagement member in the plurality of engagement members includes a fixed body protruding upwardly from the substantially planar upper surface of the base. Each engagement member includes a spring including a fixed end portion and a free end portion for engagement with the portable device. The fixed end portion interfaces with the fixed body. The free end portion protrudes from the fixed end portion obliquely towards the substantially planar upper surface of the base. The free end being movable along a deformable gap between a first surface of the fixed body and a second surface of the spring.