A stem cell manufacturing system for manufacturing stem cells from somatic cells includes: one or more closed production device(s) configured to produce stem cells from somatic cells; one or more drive device(s) configured to be connected with the production device(s) and drive the production device(s) in such a manner as to maintain the production device(s) in an environment suitable for producing stem cells; one or more cryopreservation device(s) configured to cryopreserve the produced stem cells; a first memory device configured to store whether or not somatic cells have been introduced to the production device(s), as a first state; a second memory device configured to store whether or not the production device(s) is/are connected with the drive device(s), as a second state; and a third memory device configured to store whether or not the produced stem cells can be placed in the cryopreservation device(s), as a third state.

A new method of disposing of waste for the hog industry is disclosed which avoids use of lagoons. Manure is semi-continuously degritted, anaerobically digested and digested with biomass to produce bio-organic fertilizer and biogas.

A new method of disposing of waste for the hog industry is disclosed which avoids use of lagoons. Manure is semi-continuously degritted, anaerobically digested and digested with biomass to produce bio-organic fertilizer and biogas.

The present disclosure relates to a device (10) for preparing a microscopic sample (1) for a high-pressure freezing process in which the sample (1) is provided using an arrangement comprising a middle plate (33) of a high-pressure freezing cartridge (30) and an incubation chamber (100, 200), the middle plate (33) being attached to the incubation chamber (100, 200) and being detachable from the incubation chamber (100, 200) by effecting a relative movement between the middle plate (33) and the incubation chamber (100, 200), and the sample (1) being provided on an enclosing element (37) which is fitted into an opening (36) of the middle plate (33), wherein the device (10) comprises an engagement structure (11, 21) adapted to engage with the middle plate (33) and to restrict a movement of the middle plate (33) while the incubation chamber (100, 200) is moved, such as to effect said relative movement between the middle plate (33) and the incubation chamber (100, 200) and to thereby detach the middle plate (33) from the incubation chamber (100, 200). Also, an incubation chamber (100, 200), a middle plate (33) of a high-pressure freezing cartridge (30), an arrangement comprising these components, and a corresponding method are part of the present disclosure.

Provided is a simple, safe warming method which causes no or little damage to a biological sample. A method of warming a biological sample includes the steps of: i) putting a biological sample container (5) into a heat medium container (2), the biological sample container (5) having a biological sample disposed therein, the heat medium container (2) having a heat medium (4) disposed therein; and thereafter ii) closing an inlet (3) of the heat medium container (2), the inlet being an inlet through which the heat medium (4) is injected into the heat medium container (2); and iii) moving the heat medium (4) by moving the heat medium container (2) with the inlet (3) closed.

The invention relates to a method for treating biomass (2). Biomass (2) is fed to a pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8) by means of a feeding system (5, 7), wherein by means of the feeding system (5, 7) the biomass (2) is compressed. A filtrate is squeezed out of the biomass (2) by means of the feeding system (5, 7), in particular by a first plug screw (5) or a second plug screw (7) of the feeding system (5, 7). The biomass (2) is then thermally treated in the pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8), discharged from the pressurized prehydrolysis reactor unit (8) afterwards, diluted with the filtrate before or after the discharge, and treated with an enzyme subsequently.

An apparatus for the automated processing of samples containing biological cells—in particular, of blood samples or other cell samples is provided. The apparatus has at least the following components: a sample receiving device configured to receive one or more samples; an auxiliary material receiving device configured to receive one or more auxiliary materials; a sample carrier receiving device configured to receive one or more sample carriers; a discharge device configured to discharge one or more samples from a discharge position; and a capture device configured to capture one or more discharged samples in a capture position to obtain one or more prepared samples; wherein the distance between the discharge position and the capture position can be adjusted to a prespecified height, and the apparatus further includes at least one temperature control device for controlling the temperature of at least one of the sample carriers.

A process for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass includes adding at least one of sulfur dioxide and sulfurous acid to the lignocellulosic biomass to provide an equivalent sulfur dioxide loading of at least 10 wt % sulfur dioxide to dry lignocellulosic biomass. The acidified lignocellulosic biomass is pretreated at a temperature above about 185° C. and for a pretreatment time less than about 10 minutes, to provide a pretreated biomass composition wherein the biomass is readily hydrolyzed by enzymes. Advantageously, sulfur dioxide from at least one of the flash stream and a stream derived from the flash is recovered and recycled back into the process.

A device for automated characterization of radioactive analytes that provides an integrated system with liquid handling and plate reading components. The device can be further configured to include a chromatographic subsystem. Also provided is a method of using such a device, providing addition of a radioactive sample and a sequence of operations involving the abovementioned components of the system. The system is configured with radiation shielding in such a way that manipulations of radioactive samples do not interfere with concurrent radioactive measurements.

The disclosure provides biocompatible heat exchangers, artificial tissues, systems, and thermofluidic methods for spatiotemporal control of biological signaling and gene expression. The disclosure demonstrates that in heat exchangers containing embedded cells with heat-activatable transgenes, gene expression patterning can be tuned both spatially and dynamically by varying channel network architecture, fluid temperature, fluid flow direction, and stimulation timing in a user-defined manner and maintained in vivo.