Methods for improved handling of isolated canine umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs), including methods for expansion of canine UC-MSCs, cryopreservation and improved post-thaw viability using adherent plates, as well as standardized methods and kits for characterizing isolated canine UC-MSCs in a cell population. Methods for improved detachment or dissociation of adherent cells and new dissociation reagents comprising nattokinase are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a porous scaffold for tissue engineering. It is another object of the present invention to provide a porous scaffold obtainable by the method as above described, and its use for tissue engineering, cell culture and cell delivery. The method of the invention comprises the steps consisting of: a) preparing an alkaline aqueous solution comprising an amount of at least one polysaccharide, an amount of a cross-linking agent and an amount of a porogen agent b) transforming the solution into a hydrogel by placing said solution at a temperature from about 4° C. to about 80° C. for a sufficient time to allow the cross-linking of said amount of polysaccharide and c) submerging said hydrogel into an aqueous solution d) washing the porous scaffold obtained at step c).

An object of the present invention is to provide a separation substrate having a high megakaryocyte blocking rate and a high platelet permeation rate, and a cell separation filter and a method for producing a platelet which use the same. The separation substrate of the present invention is a separation substrate including non-woven fabric for separating a platelet from a cell suspension containing a megakaryocyte and the platelet, in which an average pore diameter of the separation substrate is 2.0 μm to 15.0 μm, and a thickness of the separation substrate is 10 μm to 500 μm.

A medium containing (A) a chromogenic substance which develops a color when decomposed by β-glucosidase or a fluorogenic substance which develops a fluorescence when decomposed by β-glucosidase; (B) a chromogenic substance which develops a color when decomposed by phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C or a fluorogenic substance which develops a fluorescence when decomposed by phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C; and (C) a sugar that is useful for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes and/or Listeria ivanovii.

Disclosed herein is a method for covalent immobilization of molecular compounds on a substrate surface, comprising the steps: Providing a substrate surface; Treating the substrate surface with a plasma at atmospheric pressure, thereby generating an activated surface site; Exposing at least the activated surface site, or some fraction of the activated surface site, to molecular compounds, thereby establishing a covalent bond between the molecular compounds and the substrate surface.

Described herein are efficiently dissolving tablets of dry cell culture media, feeds, supplements, media subgroups, buffer concentrates, or media components useful in culturing cells or microorganisms, methods of manufacturing, and methods of use. In particular, formulations of tableted cell culture media feeds, supplements, media subgroups, or buffer concentrates are described.

Kits for making a spheroid-stabilizing hydrogel in a calcium-free or calcium-chelated cell culture media include (a) a gelation agent including a polygalacturonic acid (PGA) compound or an alginic acid compound, wherein the PGA compound includes at least one of: (i) pectic acid or salts thereof, or (ii) partially esterified pectic acid having a degree of esterification from about 1 to about 40 mol % or salts thereof; (b) a crosslinking agent, wherein the crosslinking agent includes a salt of a divalent ion; and (c) a proton donor, wherein the proton donor includes lactones, esters, or other compounds that hydrolyze in aqueous solutions to form acids over a period of from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Resultant spheroid-stabilizing hydrogels and methods of preparing the same.

A cell culture substrate having a high cell-adhesion portion and a low cell-adhesion portion, wherein; an adhesiveness to a cell of the high cell-adhesion portion and an adhesiveness to a cell of the low cell-adhesion portion are different from each other, the adhesiveness to the cell of the high cell-adhesion portion to cells is higher than the adhesiveness of the low cell-adhesion portion to the cell; and the high cell-adhesion portion has a cell adhesion layer containing two or more kinds of cell adhesion substances on the surface.

A method for producing a fibrin sheet containing at least one selected from the group consisting of cells and drugs in a fibrin gel, the method comprising: a step 1 of applying a fibrinogen solution containing at least one selected from the group consisting of cells and drugs and fibrinogen dropwise onto a surface of a substrate made of a gelatin hydrogel; a step 2 of adding thrombin to the fibrinogen solution on the surface of the substrate; a step 3 of placing a support film on and in contact with a top surface of the fibrinogen solution to which the thrombin has been added; a step 4 of forming a fibrin sheet containing the at least one selected from the group consisting of cells and drugs in a fibrin gel between the substrate and the support film by a reaction between the fibrinogen and the thrombin; and a step 5 of melting the substrate at a temperature not lower than a melting temperature of the gelatin hydrogel to separate, from the substrate, the fibrin sheet supported by the support film.

An aspect of the present invention makes it possible to easily observe both surfaces of a cell sheet in a condition in which the cell sheet is at a stable position in a culture medium. A cell sheet production device (100) includes: a container (20); and a support unit (10) removably held in the container (20), the support unit (10) including a mesh sheet (2) and a base (3) which holds the mesh sheet (2) such that the mesh sheet (2) floats from a bottom surface of the container (20), the support unit (10) being held in the container (20) such that the support unit is at a fixed position in vertical and horizontal directions in a culture medium.