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.

A culture system for co-culturing a first cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells and a cell layer or tissue formed of a second cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells different from the former cells comprising: a first culture tank for co-culturing under anaerobic conditions the first cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells and the cell layer or tissue formed of the second cell group consisting of one or more kinds of cells; a second culture tank for pooling a liquid culture medium of aerobic conditions; one or more substance-exchange structures that are disposed so as to connect the first culture tank to the second culture tank; and the aforesaid cell layer or tissue that is disposed so as to cover the surface on the first culture tank side of the substance-exchange structure(s).

A three-dimensional cell culture platform includes a cell supporting medium having at least one microwell formed therein; and one or more microwell spacers defining an entrance of the or each microwell, the entrance enabling the introduction of a cell culture medium into the or each microwell. The volume of a microwell is determined by a surface of the one or more microwell spacers defining the entrance of the microwell, and by an interface of the cell supporting medium of the microwell. The one or more microwell spacers are in direct contact with the cell supporting medium prior to one or more cells being delivered to the three-dimensional cell culture platform.

Described herein are nano straw well insert apparatuses (e.g., devices and systems) that include nanotubes extending through and out of a membrane so that a material can pass through the membrane from a fluid reservoir depot and into a cell grown onto the nanotubes when electrical energy (e.g., electroporation energy) is applied. In particular, the device, systems and methods described herein may be adapted for cell growth viability and transfection efficiency (e.g., >70%). These apparatuses may be readily integratable into cell culturing processes for improved transfection efficiency, intracellular transport, and cell viability.

A cell cultivation apparatus for cultivating microorganisms and growing cells at high density is provided. The apparatus includes a membrane comprising multiple surface features on a first side of the membrane for cell placement. The surface features comprising one or more compartments within which a cell can be located. The membrane includes a material that is at least partially permeable to gas. A second side of the membrane defines a gas region. The second side of the membrane is separated from the first side of the membrane by the membrane. The apparatus further includes a media region for receiving media. The compartments are configured to at least partially reduce media flow shear forces on one or more cells in the compartments. The surface features may be ridges, protrusions, fins, wells, and/or posts.

The present invention relates to methods for reprogramming somatic cells into pluripotent stem cell-like cells. Such cells may express pluripotency inducing genes including Oct4, Nanog and Sox2 without introducing exogeneous genes, proteins, or chemicals. The discovery that the inhibition of mechanosensitive and stretch-activated ion channels in somatic cells specifically activates pluripotency inducing factor genes inspired the cell reprogramming culture methods in which somatic cells were incubated with the inhibitor, GsMTX4, against mechanosensitive and stretch-activated ion channels, cultured on the soft hydrogel surface, or treated with cholesterol depletion substance, methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MβCD). Described methods produce pluripotent stem cell-like cells and subsequently re-differentiated cells, which include adipocytes, osteocytes, neuronal cells. Methods may be combined to increase the efficiency of the somatic cell reprogramming A somatic cell reprogramming kit was also created with tissue culture dishes casted with hydrogel (dehydrated) and MβCD.

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.

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.

Disclosed herein is a device comprising a microelectrode comprising cells cultured on a surface of the microelectrode and a porous membrane comprising an upper surface comprising cultured cells. Further, devices and methods for in in-vitro models of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and for modeling the transport across this barrier are disclosed.

A method for producing tissue constructs comprising two or more distinct regions, each of which comprises a different cell population or lineage is described. The method involves providing a support substrate or substrate assembly comprising two or more physically distinct regions, wherein the two or more physically distinct regions of the support substrate or substrate assembly are different from each other; and depositing/positioning one or more cells on the support substrate or substrate assembly. The cells can form a continuous monolayer with at least two zones, e.g., a proliferative zone and a nonproliferative zone, that can act as in vitro intestinal models. The models are two-dimensional, thus facilitating rapid and facile imaging Systems comprising the tissue constructs and methods of using the constructs to study the effects of pharmaceuticals, uutraceuticais, and metabolites on intestinal cells are also described.