The present invention is directed to a method of measuring cell migration by measuring the invasion ratio of cells incubated on a pillar array inserted into a well structure, the method including steps of: preparing a pillar array having a plurality of micropillars and a well structure having a plurality of microwells into which the plurality of micropillars is insertable, respectively; forming cell spheroids by incubating cells in an extracellular matrix attached to the end contact surfaces of the micropillars; allowing the cells contained in the cell spheroids to invade the end contact surfaces; staining and scanning the cell spheroids, the cells contained in the cell spheroids, and the cells that invaded the end contact surfaces; and calculating the invasion ratio of cells by the following equation through a fluorescence image of the scanned cells:

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{Invasion}\mathrm{Ratio}=\frac{\mathrm{Invasion}\mathrm{cell}\mathrm{area}}{\mathrm{Total}\mathrm{cell}\mathrm{area}}=\frac{A_{\mathrm{Total}}-A_{\mathrm{spheroid}}}{A_{\mathrm{Total}}}& \left[\mathrm{Equation}\right]\end{array}$

wherein A.sub.total represents the total cell area, and A.sub.spheroid represents the spheroid area.

The present invention relates to a method for cultivating cells, in particular tissues, comprising a carrier plate unit, which has at least one access opening, at least one cultivation chamber, and at least one channel connecting the access opening to the cultivation chamber.

The present invention is drawn to devices and systems for allergen detection in a sample. The allergen detection system includes a sampler, a disposable analysis cartridge and a detection device with an optimized optical system. In some embodiments, the allergen detection utilizes aptamer nucleic acid molecules as detection agents. In some embodiments, the nucleic acids are conjugated to magnetic beads or solid surfaces such as glasses, microwells and microchips.

The purpose of the present invention is to embody an inspection device wherein dew condensation in a sample container, in particular, in the lid thereof can be prevented or quickly removed without giving heat shock to a sample in the sample container. For this purpose, provided is an inspection device comprising an isothermal part 110 which comprises a rack 111 and maintains a sample container 150 storing a sample in a temperature-controlled environment, said sample container 150 comprising a plate and a lid, a detection part 120 which comprises an optical device for observing and inspecting the sample stored in the sample container, and a transportation part 130 which transports the sample container from the isothermal part to the detection part and vice versa, wherein at least one of the isothermal part, detection part and transportation part is provided with a member by which the lid of the sample container is held in a state lifted from the plate.

This invention relates to compositions of matter, methods, modules and automated, end-to-end closed instruments for automated mammalian cell growth, reagent bundle creation and mammalian cell transfection followed by nucleic acid-guided nuclease editing in live mammalian cells. The disclosed compositions and method entail making “reagent bundles” comprising many (hundreds of thousands to millions) clonal copies of an editing cassette and delivering or co-localizing the reagent bundles with live mammalian cells such that the editing cassettes edit the cells and the edited cells continue to grow.

Bioreactor systems can include a first frame and a second frame, a well plate, a motor plate, a motor, and a controller. The first frame may define a well plate inset and standoff insets for a first set of metal standoffs. The second frame may define a plurality of mounts and a plurality of insets for a second set of metal standoffs. A gear may be positioned in each of the plurality of mounts. A paddle may be coupled to each of the gears. The well plate can be positioned within the well plate inset. The motor plate can be supported by and connected to the first set of metal standoffs and the second set of metal standoffs. The motor can be mounted on the motor plate and operatively connected to one of the plurality of gears.

Methods and systems are provided for a sample holder for a multi-detector quantitative microscopy system. In one example, the sample holder includes a frame with a central opening, a pivotable arm positioned adjacent to the central opening and having a whippletree assembly at a first end of the pivotable arm, and a movable ram, in contact with a second end of the pivotable arm, the movable ram configured to pivot the pivotable arm.

A device for aggregating cells includes a cavity. The cavity includes a plurality of microwells for receiving at least one cell. Each of the microwells includes a vertical sidewall and a curved bottom. The microwells are made in a hydrogel layer. Each of said microwells has a diameter and an interwell distance between one microwell and another microwell, wherein a ratio for the interwell distance to the diameter is less than or equal to 1/10.

An apparatus, that relates to the field of in vitro fertilization, is provided for the combined incubation and vitrification of a biological material. The apparatus can be configured to allow for automatic incubation and vitrification of a viable biological material. Thereby predetermined protocols for handling the biological material can be performed precisely and accurately thus avoiding errors and deviations from the intended protocol, as caused by manual human intervention.

A cell culture vessel (100) has walls and a substrate having a plurality of microcavities (120), where each microcavity of the plurality of microcavities includes a concave well and an opening to allow the microcavity to be filled with liquid. A flange (170) surrounds the substrate having an array of microcavities. A channel (175, 176) surrounds the flange, providing a moat around the microcavity substrate. The flange is angled. Methods of culturing cells in the cell culture vessel are also provided.