A culture plate including: an array of light sources formed inside and on top of a semiconductor substrate; a transparent planarization layer coating the array of light sources; and an array of wells formed on said layer, each light source being located vertically in line with a well.

A manipulation apparatus and a manipulation method for performing culturing, manipulation, and analysis of minute samples such as cells and microbes on a large scale, the manipulation apparatus including a stage unit on which a predetermined cell incubator is mounted and a probe array unit having a plurality of probes. The probe array unit includes a first probe array and a second probe array. The first probe array includes a plurality of probes arranged side by side at a predetermined pitch along the X-axis direction. The second probe array includes a plurality of probes arranged side by side at a predetermined pitch along the Y-axis direction.

The present invention relates to a pillar structure for a biochip. The pillar structure for a biochip according to the present invention is provided to form a biochip for analyzing a sample, which is a biological micromaterial such as a cell, together with a well plate configured to receive a culture solution, and the pillar structure includes: a pillar part having a seating surface on which a cell for culture is placed, and a light irradiation surface configured to be irradiated with light for observing the cell placed on the seating surface; and a plurality of holder parts extending in a state of being spaced apart from the pillar part and having an opening between the adjacent holder parts so that the culture solution is introduced between the holder parts.

A device includes a first unit for skeletal muscle tissue formation; a second unit for motor neuron culture; a third unit for causing the first and second units to communicate with each other; and a pillar serving as a scaffold for skeletal muscle tissue formation. The first unit includes a first base material and a first culture tank formed in the first base material. The second unit includes a second base material and a second culture tank formed in the second base material. The third unit includes a third base material and an axon channel formed in the third base material, through which a bundle of axons passes. One end of the third unit is connectable to the second unit and cause the axon channel and the second culture tank to communicate with each other. A first opening part is formed to the other end of the third unit.

The microfluidic device of the present invention includes a plate having a first main surface that has an opening area in which a plurality of openings for injecting fluid are formed, a second main surface being the opposite side of the first main surface, and an outer side surface communicating the first main surface and the second main surface; and a reservoir that has an opening with a bottom and is capable of storing liquid, the opening standing above the first main surface outside the opening area.

The present invention relates to poly(alkylene terephthalate) polyesters having long poly-methylene segments and their use in a wide variety of applications. Particularly, said PAT polyesters are used in biotechnological or biomedical applications, wherein the extent of cell adhesion, cell growth or cell interaction, in particular endothelial cells, depends on the odd or even number of carbon atoms in the aliphatic segments. Also provided are methods for the preparation of poly(alkylene terephthalates) (PAT) having long poly-methylene segments, wherein the bifunctional monomers, in particular terephthalic acid (or a derivative thereof) and an aliphatic diol, are dissolved in a solvent and the polycondensation reaction takes place in solution.

A cell culture apparatus includes an introduction-side flow path arranged to allow a culture solution introduced to flow therethrough and be introduced therethrough into each of a plurality of concave wells of a flexible strip circumferentially wound, and a first introduction-side seal provided on an outer circumferential side of the introduction-side flow path, the first introduction-side seal being configured to block flow of the culture solution from the introduction-side flow path to an outer circumferential side of the flexible strip.

A cell-free protein synthesis method includes the following steps: (i) providing a multi-well plate, the multi-well plate includes a cover plate and a base provided with a plurality of wells. Each well is formed by one or more side walls, a bottom II and an opening, and the cover plate matches the opening; (ii) providing fluid to some of the wells; (iii) adding a biochemical factor and one or more of a template DNA, a template RNA.sub.; an additive, and a reaction cofactor into the fluid; or (iv) adding one or more of the template DNA, the template RNA, the additive, and the reaction cofactor to the fluid; (v) placing the cover plate on a top of the base to seal the openings of the wells; and (vi) subjecting the multi-well plate to incubation for a period of time.

The invention provides a cell-containing vessel comprising a plurality of neural cell-containing spheroids for which the variation calculated using the calculation method described below is less than 20%, wherein the neural cell-containing spheroids contain a plurality of types of cells including neural cells,

(Calculation Method)

Calcium transient assays are conducted for each of a plurality of neural cell-containing spheroids, a number of spontaneous oscillations in a 10-minute period is measured, an average and standard deviation for the number of spontaneous oscillations are calculated, and a variation is calculated using formula (1) below:

Variation (%)=standard deviation for number of spontaneous oscillations/average number of spontaneous oscillations×100  (1).

Described herein is a system to remote-control magnetic actuation of dynamic cell culture. The systems described herein can include a porous, magnetic, elastomeric construct. The porous, magnetic, elastomeric construct can be formed from a composite including a biocompatible elastomer and a population of magnetic particles dispersed within the biocompatible elastomer.