The present disclosure includes systems and methods for hydrolyzing (e.g., pretreatment and/or enzymatic hydrolysis) lignocellulosic biomass into one or more sugars such as pentose and glucose sugars. The present disclosure includes configurations that incorporate flashing and/or liquid cooling so as to permit desirable throughput. The present disclosure also includes a liquefaction configuration so as to permit desirable (e.g., continuous high volume) throughput.

A method for producing a partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material is provided including treating a lignocellulosic material with an acid and/or an alkali and then a polyol. Also provided are methods of producing a fermentable sugar, or a fermentable sugar and a fermentation product from said partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material. A partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material, a fermentable sugar, and fermentation product produced by such methods are also provided. Also provided is an apparatus for producing a partially hydrolysed lignocellulosic material, such as by the aforementioned method.

The present invention relates to a processing method at acidic or neutral pH in a reactor (4) for processing lignocellulosic biomass (P), said process including a continuous cleaning phase of the reactor which comprises introducing a basic aqueous solution (EB) into said reactor containing the biomass being processed.

According to one embodiment, a method for the establishment of an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell includes a suspension liquid feeding step, an inducing factor feeding step, and an establishing step. The suspension liquid feeding step feeds a suspension liquid containing a target cell. The inducing factor feeding step feeds an inducing factor to a trap. The trap traps the target cell contained in the suspension liquid fed in the suspension liquid feeding step. The establishing step establishes an iPS cell by introducing the inducing factor, which has been fed to the trap, into the target cell trapped by the trap.

A method and apparatus for enzymatic hydrolysis where a plant based feed is hydrolysed using an enzyme to form a hydrolysed product. An additive for preventing enzyme adsorption is fed to an enzymatic hydrolysis stage, the plant based feed, the hydrolysed product, a starting material, and/or a plant based material formed from the starting material. The hydrolysed product is supplied from the enzymatic hydrolysis stage to a first solid-liquid separation stage where a lignin fraction comprising the additive and a liquid composition comprising the enzyme are separated. The liquid composition is mixed with the plant based material in a mixing stage, forming a mixture. A solid and liquid fraction are separated from the mixture in a second solid-liquid separation stage. At least part of the solid fraction comprising the enzyme is fed as the plant based feed to the enzymatic hydrolysis stage.

A drug screening device is provided. A method of determining optimal drug concentrations and efficacy in a patient using the device are provided. A method of determining effective chemotherapeutic drugs and effective concentrations thereof using the device is provided. Also, a method of determining safety and efficacy of drugs using the device is provided.

The invention relates to a method for the simultaneous production of a solid transformation product of the substrate and crude ethanol comprising the following steps: •preparing a substrate from milled or flaked biomass comprising proteinaceous matter which originates from soya bean, rape seed, or mixtures thereof, optionally in further mixture with proteinaceous matter originating from fava beans, peas, sunflower seeds, lupine, cereals, and/or grasses, •mixing said substrate with live yeast in a dry matter ratio of from 1:1 to 10,000:1 and adding water in an amount which provides a ratio of wet bulk density to dry bulk density from 0.60 to 1.45 in the resulting mixture; •incubating said mixture for 1-48 hours at a temperature of about 20-60° C.; and •separating crude ethanol and wet solid transformation product from said mixture; further comprising that the incubation is performed as a continuous plug-flow process in a vertical, non-agitated, closed incubation tank with inlet means for said mixture and additives and outlet means for the solid transformation product and crude ethanol. The invention further relates to the products of this method as well as uses thereof.

Cell separation systems and methods of separating cells are disclosed. In an embodiment, a cell separation system is described that comprises a non-transitory storage device that executes a centrifugation program to separate cell volume from biologic material volume; a heating mechanism; a containment mechanism; and an assembly comprised of a single-walled centrifugation bowl. In an embodiment, methods of separating cells are disclosed whereby cells are separated by agitating a volume of biologic material and a volume digestion media to form a digested volume of biologic material; centrifuging the digested volume of biologic material; removing a portion of a resulting waste via at least one fluid outlet; isolating a different portion of the waste, and removing the concentrated cell volumes from the reservoir.

The invention is directed to a simple and economical method for producing nanocrystalline cellulose from microcrystalline cellulose by contacting frozen concentrated sulfuric acid with microcrystalline cellulose, diluting the mixture in water and hair-shaped ice to hydrolyze the microcrystalline cellulose, and separating the NCC. Another aspect of the invention pertains to an apparatus for conducting this method which includes an acid resistant hydrolysis container having a cooling jacket containing a hollow stirrer each of which may be filled with liquid nitrogen.

The present invention provides automated devices for use in supporting various cell therapies and tissue engineering methods. The present invention provides an automated cell separation apparatus capable of separating cells from a tissue sample for use in cell therapies and/or tissue engineering. The cell separation apparatus can be used in combination with complementary devices such as cell collection device and/or a sodding apparatus to support various therapies. The automated apparatus includes media and tissue dissociating chemical reservoirs, filters, a cell separator and a perfusion flow loop through a graft chamber which supports a graft substrate or other endovascular device. The present invention further provides methods for using the tissue grafts and cell samples prepared by the devices described herein in a multitude of therapies including revascularization, regeneration and reconstruction of tissues and organs, as well as treatment and prevention of diseases.