The present invention discloses a partially crosslinked hydrogels blended composition with enhanced viscosity and yield stress, which is formed by the polymerization of one or more colloid monomers through crosslinking. The polymerization is initiated by a photoinitiator under irradiation of the light of a specific wavelength, which promotes crosslinking of the one or more colloid monomers. The hydrogels blended composition can be further crosslinked with one or more other colloid monomers through repeated excitation of the photoinitiator. The hydrogels blended composition can be polymerized into a gel upon re-irradiation, and can also be used as a biomaterial for wound repair, three-dimensional cell culture, personal nursing care, health care, medical and pharmaceutical applications.

The present invention relates to an edible and sterilizable macroporous three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering scaffolds comprising a network of cross-linked biocompatible polymer, preferably a natural polymer. Moreover, the scaffold of the invention further comprises additives and living cells which adhere and proliferate, colonizing the entire surface of the scaffold and giving rise to a raw material for the later formation of tissue with high nutritive content and/or cultured meat, that may be subsequently processed into food for animal or human consumption without requiring modification or removal of the cells form the scaffold. Method of using the scaffolds to make cultured meat and/or tissues for being processed as food comprising the scaffold, are also described herein.

A cell culture matrix is provided that has a substrate with a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a thickness separating the first side and the second side, and a plurality of openings formed in the substrate and passing through the thickness of the substrate. The plurality of openings allow flow of at least one of cell culture media, cells, or cell products through the thickness of the substrate, and provides a uniform, efficient, and scalable matrix for cell seeding, proliferation, and culturing. The substrate can be formed from a woven polymer mesh material that provides a high surface area to volume ratio for cells and good fluid flow through the matrix. Bioreactor systems incorporating the cell culture matrix and related methods are also provided.

The invention provides a thermosensitive peptide hydrogel, which comprises water, a polyether/polyol polymer and a peptide molecule. The peptide molecule has a structure represented by the following chemical formula (1). Chemical Structure (1): ##STR00001##

Micro-Organosphers, including Patient-Derived Micro-Organospheres (PMOSs), apparatuses and methods of making them, and apparatuses and methods of using them. Also described herein are methods and systems for screening a patient using these Patient-Derived Micro-Organospheres, including personalized therapies.

The present invention provides a nerve cell device in which early observation of nerve activity (spikes, bursts, and the like) is made possible and the measured electric strength is increased by cultivating neurons upon a cell scaffold. By using this nerve cell device, imaging of intracellular signaling is also possible.

A cell culture system is provided that includes a cell culture vessel having an interior cavity to house a cell culture substrate in a cell culture space, and at least one port for at least one of fluid inlet to the interior cavity and fluid outlet from the interior cavity. The system further includes a piston having a distal end disposed in the cell culture vessel above the cell culture space, the distal end of the piston being sealed with an airtight seal within the interior cavity. The system also includes a driver coupled to the piston to move the piston so as to increase and decrease a distance between the distal end and the cell culture space. The driver can pressurize the interior cavity via actuation of the piston to harvest cells from the cell culture space through the at least one port.

Disclosed is a method of constructing a cell sheet using only cells without a support. More particularly, a method of manufacturing a multi-layered cell sheet without a separate lamination step and a cell sheet manufactured by the method are disclosed.

Materials and methods for cell-mimetics having mechanical properties of biological neural axons are provided. A cell-mimetic device includes an array of fibers comprised of hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) or an HDDA derivative, and at least one derivative of polyethylene glycol (PEG) selected from the group consisting of: PEG-acrylate, PEG-diacrylate, and any multi-arm PEG-acrylate.

The present application relates to a composition, which comprises: (a) a photopolymerizable substance; (b) a thiol; (c) a photoinitiator; (d) a thermosensitive polymer; and (e) water, and can be used as a bio-ink for preparing a bio-hydrogel for direct-writing 3D printing. The present invention further relates to a method for preparing the composition, and a direct-writing 3D printing method using the composition.