Systems and methods for algae cultivation and, more particularly, to systems and methods for controlling algae cultivation water solution temperatures to optimize algae facility productivity. Effluent water from harvested algae water solutions is stored based on temperature conditions within storage reservoirs and recycled back into a cultivating algae solution to control the temperature thereof and enhance the growth and robustness of resultant algal biomass.

A biocompatible column for concurrent micro-positron emission tomography (micro-PET) or micro-single photon emission computed tomography (micro-SPECT) of at least two cell cultures is provided, the column having an inlet, an axially oriented perfusion chamber and an outlet, wherein the perfusion chamber includes a porous solid phase with sponges having biopolymer (such as silk, silk fibroin, collagen, gelatin, agarose, alginate, polylactic acid, agar, or methyl-cellulose), an aqueous liquid phase, a first cell culture and a second cell culture, wherein the first cell culture and the second cell culture are in contact with the solid phase and wherein the first cell culture is separated from the second cell culture by the solid phase. Also provided is a method and a kit for concurrent micro-PET or micro-SPECT of at least two cell cultures.

An apparatus for enhancing bacterial sporulation comprising a laminar flow chamber including a plurality of laminar flow tubes that smooth flow of coolant, a coolant input port that is coupled to the laminar flow chamber that supplies the coolant to the laminar flow chamber from a coolant source, a transparent tube section that is coupled to the laminar flow chamber and includes light-emitting diode (LED) light modules, the transparent tube section receives the smoothed flow of coolant from the laminar flow chamber, a culture solution tube that traverses through the laminar flow chamber and the transparent tube section, wherein a portion of the culture solution tube that is within the transparent tube section is surrounded by the coolant and is exposed to light from the LED light modules, and a culture solution input port that is coupled to the culture solution tube and supplies a culture solution to the culture solution tube.

A system for growing algae includes a gas concentrator configured to receive a first gas containing CO2 at a first concentration and discharge a second gas containing CO2 at a second concentration higher than the first concentration, and a photobioreactor containing algae in an algae slurry and fluidically coupled to the gas concentrator to receive the second gas. A recycling line extends from a gas outlet on the photobioreactor to remove a third gas from the photobioreactor for future use in the photobioreactor.

A bioreactor for the in vitro culture of reproductive tissues and the like in perifusion mode, including a first component and a second component, mutually connected, which define between them at least one culture chamber; the former component includes an inlet port for introducing a culture medium into the culture chamber, while the latter component includes an outlet port, to allow the culture medium out of the culture chamber. The bioreactor includes at least one porous medium, provided inside the culture chamber, able to mechanically support fragments of reproductive tissue, and networks, positioned above and below the fragments of reproductive tissue, with reference to the vertical or substantially vertical position of use of the bioreactor.

A biocompatible column for concurrent micro-positron emission tomography (micro-PET) or micro-single photon emission computed tomography (micro-SPECT) of at least two cell cultures is provided, the column having an inlet, an axially oriented perfusion chamber and an outlet, wherein the perfusion chamber includes a porous solid phase with sponges having biopolymer (such as silk, silk fibroin, collagen, gelatin, agarose, alginate, polylactic acid, agar, or methyl-cellulose), an aqueous liquid phase, a first cell culture and a second cell culture, wherein the first cell culture and the second cell culture are in contact with the solid phase and wherein the first cell culture is separated from the second cell culture by the solid phase. Also provided is a method and a kit for concurrent micro-PET or micro-SPECT of at least two cell cultures.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic culture system whereby cells can be released from a vessel by a simple constitution and damage on the cells can be minimized In the automatic culture system according to the present invention, cells are cultured in a stimulus-responsive culture vessel and then the cells are released from the culture vessel by stimulating the culture vessel with a solution which is supplied from another vessel (see FIG. 3).

Embodiments of the present invention provide novel, low-cost fermentation systems and methods of their use. More specifically, the present invention provides biological reactor systems for fermenting a wide variety of, for example, bio level 1 microorganisms with very high cell densities. The reactor systems can be used to grow yeast, fungi and bacteria, as well as growth by-products thereof. In specific embodiments, the reactor systems are used to produce yeast-based compositions. In certain specific embodiments, the reactor systems can be used for the production of Starmerella bombicola yeast compositions.

A dynamic incubator system and method for mammalian cells. The dynamic incubator system includes an incubator and a programming device communicatively coupled to the incubator. The programming device includes a memory, one or more processors, a display, and an input mechanism. The programming device is adapted to enable at least one preset temperature and gas concentration sequence to be one or more of designed for the interior of the incubator, saved to the memory of the programming device and/or selected for implementation within the interior of the incubator. The at least one temperature and gas concentration sequence includes programmed changes to the temperature and a CO.sub.2 gas concentration. A purging mechanism is coupled to the incubator and releases a portion of a gas concentration to enable rapid changes in the temperature and gas concentration in the incubator.

A cell-growing system may include a cell-growing container, a pump for controlling the pressure of the chamber of the container, a filter for maintaining the chamber sterilized, a flow control regulator for controlling the substance supplied to the cell-growing container. The cell-growing container may include an internal structure that takes the form of a reticulated structure to increase the surface area for growing cells. The cell-growing system may be used to perform cycles of cell expansion and harvest. The cell-growing system may be maintained as a closed and sterilized system through the cycles. In harvesting, a first subset of the cells can be disassociated from the cell culture while a second subset remains. The disassociated cells may be discharged to a collection container while maintaining the system closed to an external environment. The remaining cells may be used as seeds to proliferate more cells in the next cycle.