A cell population (55) is cultured on a cell culture substrate (50) while agents contained in agent reservoirs (31, 33, 35) at predefined positions in a culture container (10) diffuse through the substrate (50) and form at least partly overlapping concentration gradients in the substrate (50) within combination areas (41, 43, 45) and substantially non-overlapping concentration gradients in the substrate (50) peripheral to an outer boundary of the agent reservoirs (31, 33, 35). Inhibition end points (61, 63, 65) of respective inhibition zones (60, 62, 64) substantially lacking any growth of the cell population (55) peripheral to the outer boundary of the agent reservoirs (31, 33, 35) and growth end points (71, 73, 75) of respective growth zones (70, 72, 74) comprising growth of the cell population (55) within the combination areas (41, 43, 45) are determined and used to determine interaction effects between the agents on the cell population (55).

The present disclosure provides a method of producing uniformly sized organoids/multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic device having an array of microwells. The method involves several successive steps. First, a microfluidic device containing parallel rows of microwells that are connected with a supplying channel is filled with a wetting agent. The wetting agent is a liquid that is immiscible in water. For example, the wetting agent may be an organic liquid such as oil. In the next step, the agent in the supplying channel and the microwells is replaced with a suspension of cells in an aqueous solution that contains a precursor for a hydrogel. Next, the aqueous phase in the supplying channel is replaced with the agent, which leads to the formation of an array of droplets of cell suspension in the hydrogel precursor solution, which were compartmentalized in the wells. The droplets are then transformed into cell-laden hydrogels. Subsequently, the agent in the supplying channel is replaced with the cell culture medium continuously flowing through the microfluidic device and the cells within the hydrogels are transformed into multicellular spheroids.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to devices, apparatuses, and systems with embedded electrodes for rowing, maintaining, and/or using 3D tissues in vitro. The devices, apparatuses, and systems described herein can provide scalable, automated tissue stimulation.

Methods and systems for generating three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissues (ETs), and for electrical stimulation of same, are provided. Provided is an ET assembly comprising an ET lid with first post and second post assemblies coupled thereto. Provided is a casting assembly comprising the ET assembly and a casting plate. Provided are stimulation methods and systems for stimulating tissue constructs.

A sample testing apparatus includes a sample tray defining a planar surface and a plurality of wells recessed relative to the planar surface, and a lid member configured to be sealed about the planar surface of the sample tray. The lid member includes an adhesive layer configured to be sealed to the planar surface of the sample tray, a breathable film layer disposed about the adhesive layer, and a backing layer disposed about the breathable film layer. Methods of using the sample testing apparatus for testing a sample and kits to facilitate such testing are also provided.

A culturing device includes a microplate including a plurality of vessels, each of the vessels having a bottom surface having light transmittance and an opening at an upper portion, a lid having light transmittance, and an intermediate plate having light transmittance sandwiched between the lid and the microplate. The intermediate plate has a plurality of convex portions on a surface thereof facing the microplate and provided with a plurality of through holes corresponding to the convex portions that are disposed so that when the intermediate plate and the microplate are overlapped, each of the plurality of convex portions is inserted into each of the plurality of vessels and each of the plurality of through holes coincides with the opening of each of the plurality of vessels. The lid comes into contact with the intermediate plate so as to close the plurality of through holes provided in the intermediate plate.

A system for processing samples from a body of fluid. The system includes one or more sample bottles for acquiring a sample from the body of fluid. Each sample bottle initially retains a pre-filling fluid. Each sample bottle includes a fluidic inlet port and a bottle outlet port. Each sample bottle has an inlet check valve coupled to the fluidic inlet port, the inlet check valve configured to allow fluid from the body of fluid into a sample bottle via the fluidic inlet port when the pressure difference between the body of fluid and fluid within the sample bottle reaches a threshold. The system further includes at least one pump, the bottle outlet port of each sample bottle selectively coupled to the at least one pump via a different control valve. The at least one pump is configured, in a first configuration, to remove prefilling fluid from each selected sample bottle such that, for each selected sample bottle, the pressure difference threshold is reached and a sample from the body of fluid is acquired.

An apparatus comprising a culture dish and a removable lid, wherein the culture dish comprises a main body having a side wall defining a reservoir region for receiving a quantity of liquid media, and the removable lid is arranged to cover the reservoir region during normal use, wherein the lid comprises a gas permeable material and includes an engagement portion formed of a resilient material adapted to cooperatively engage with the side wall of the main body of the culture dish so as to compress a part of the engagement portion of the removable lid against the side wall to form a vapour-tight seal for the reservoir region when the removable lid is coupled to the culture dish. The lid fitted to the culture dish enables a substantial portion of the culturing media to remain in the environment enclosed between the reservoir and the lid without use of a cover media to limit evaporation while allowing gaseous exchange therethrough.

The present disclosure relates to a pneumatic microfluidic platform for high-throughput studies of cardiac hypertrophy that enables repetitive (hundreds of thousands of times) and robust (over several weeks) manipulation of cardiac μtissues. The platform is reusable for stable and reproducible mechanical stimulation of cardiac μtissues (each containing only 500 cells). Heterotypic and homotypic μtissues produced in the device were pneumatically loaded in a range of regimes, with real-time on-chip analysis of tissue phenotypes. Concentrated loading of the three-dimensional cardiac tissue faithfully recapitulated the pathology of volume overload seen in native heart tissue. Sustained volume overload of μtissues was sufficient to induce pathological cardiac remodeling associated with upregulation of the fetal gene program, in a dose-dependent manner.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a three-dimensional ex vivo skeletal muscle tissue comprising a hydrogel and a plurality of cells that includes skeletal muscle cells, at least a portion of the cells being encapsulated inside the hydrogel. In some embodiments, the skeletal muscle tissue is characterized by one or more contractions in response to an electrical and/or chemical stimulation.