The present disclosure provides, in part, nucleic acid loaded flowable hydrogels and compositions, systems and methods related thereto, to effectively deliver nucleic acids to cells that contact the flowable hydrogels.

The present disclosure relates to sVERO 7C2, which is a Vero cell line derived from Vero cells (African Green Monkey Kidney Cell Line) distributed from the WHO and capable of suspension culture without serum components. Further, the present disclosure relates to a culture method for growing the Vero cells and a method for producing a vaccine virus using the Vero cells.

A three-dimensional cell culture platform includes a cell supporting medium having at least one microwell formed therein; and one or more microwell spacers defining an entrance of the or each microwell, the entrance enabling the introduction of a cell culture medium into the or each microwell. The volume of a microwell is determined by a surface of the one or more microwell spacers defining the entrance of the microwell, and by an interface of the cell supporting medium of the microwell. The one or more microwell spacers are in direct contact with the cell supporting medium prior to one or more cells being delivered to the three-dimensional cell culture platform.

A three-dimensional (3D) cell culture system comprising: a solid porous polymeric support, preferably comprising a biocompatible polymer; a first type of cells bound to the solid porous polymeric support; and a biocompatible hydrogel comprising a second type of cells, wherein biocompatible hydrogel is in physical contact with the solid porous polymeric support, is described. Methods for preparing this 3D cell culture system, as well as uses of this system for example for anticancer drug screening, are also described.

A cell culture device (1) includes: a culture vessel (10 ) that accommodates a cell suspension containing cells and a culture medium; and a stirring device (30) that is provided at a bottom part of the culture vessel (10) to stir the cell suspension accommodated in the culture vessel (10). The stirring device (30) has a shaft part (32), and a rotating part (33) rotatable with the shaft part (32) as a rotation axis. The rotating part (33) has a hole part (36) into which the shaft part (32) is inserted, and a gap (37) of 100 μm or more is secured between an interior wall demarcating the hole part (36) and the shaft part (32). A closing part (38) that closes an end part of the gap (37) in an axial direction of the rotation axis is provided.

A transfer device designed to extract an amorphous or semi-solid structure, tissue, or construct from supporting media while maintaining the spatial integrity/organizational architecture thereof. The transfer device can include a controller, an actuator assembly, a plunger, and a needle. The controller can move the transfer device and the plunger independently.

An array platform for three-dimensional cell culturing and drug testing and screening is disclosed. In the array platform, a hydrogel-cell mixture injection area is configured to inject a plurality of kinds of hydrogel-cell mixtures. Cell observation areas are connected to the hydrogel-cell mixture injection area. Electrodes are disposed under the cell observation areas and automatic cell quantification and three-dimensional cell co-arrangement of the plurality of kinds of hydrogel-cell mixtures in the cell observation areas through the electrodes to imitate a structure of body's tissues. A drug injection area is configured to inject a plurality of kinds of drugs. Drug combination generators respectively correspond to the cell observation areas and are connected to the drug injection area. Each drug combination generator has a microfluidic channel structure and configured to generate drug combinations according to the plurality of kinds of drugs.

A recombinant spider silk protein, consisting of no more than 800 amino acids, comprising a set of domains arranged according to the formula (NT)-REP-CT, wherein: the optional NT-domain, if present, comprises a sequence of 100 to 160 amino-acid residues derived from the N-terminal domain of a spider silk protein; the REP-domain comprises a sequence of 30 to 600 amino acid residues derived from the repetitive segment of a spider silk protein; and the CT-domain comprises a sequence of 70 to 120 amino acid residues derived from the C-terminal domain of a spider silk protein selected from: a sequence of 72 to 110 amino acid residues derived from the C-terminal domain of a spider silk protein, wherein the sequence comprises at least 7 residues independently selected from K, R, E and D; a sequence having at least 85% identity to SEQ ID NO: 15 or any one of SEQ ID NOs: 62-65 or 67-73; and a sequence having at least 70% identity to SEQ ID NOs: 64 or any one of SEQ ID NOs: 62-65 or 67-73, wherein the sequence comprises at least 7 residues independently selected from K, R, E and D.

There is provided an in vitro three dimensional cell construct for use as a model of the avian intestine derived from avian intestinal tissue comprising avian cells organised into intestinal villi and crypts. Suitably the construct comprises an exterior surface that mimics the apical surface of a chicken intestine. Also provided are methods of making the cell construct and use of the construct as an in vitro intestinal model system to examine an agent including, but not limited to a microbe, a vaccine, a pharmaceutical, a feed additive, a toxin, a pre-biotic, post-biotic, pre pro post biotic, therapeutic, a cell, gene construct, protein, immune-modulator, an intestinal effector agent, a candidate intestinal effector agent, cell signalling inhibitor, or cell signalling activator.

The invention concerns novel methods and materials for preparing extracellular matrix (ECM) powder pre-gel and gel solutions, for example for use in organoid culture. The ECM gels demonstrate excellent physiological and mechanical properties while having the proteomic signature of endoderm tissue with specific enrichment of key ECM proteins relevant to organoid formation.