A cell detector and detecting method enhance detection sensitivity for microbes according to the ATP method and reduce the detection period. The cell detector includes a sealing container having a culture portion for containing a culture medium containing the specimen, a sealable specimen introducing portion, and a luminescent reagent portion that emits light upon contact with the culture medium, a contact mechanism for controlling the contact between the culture medium and the luminescent reagent portion, a photodetector for detecting a luminescence resulting from the contact between the culture medium and the luminescent reagent portion, and a calculation unit for calculating a luminescent quantity from detection signals of the photodetector to determine cell proliferation on the basis of change in the luminescent quantity over time. The culture portion and the luminescent reagent portion are separately positioned, and the contact mechanism intermittently brings the culture medium and the luminescent reagent into contact.

A remote monitoring system configured to non-invasively measure a cell culture is provided. The system includes a plurality of cell culture layers comprising a cell culture chamber configured to operate as a closed-system, the at least one cell culture chamber having at least one surface to which cells adhere. The system further includes at least one monitoring layer comprising an outer wall surrounding a monitoring layer cell culture chamber configured to operate as a closed-system and having at least one surface to which cells adhere, the at least one monitoring layer comprising at least one indentation in the outer wall. The system also includes at least one monitoring module disposed in at least one of the at least one indentation and comprising at least one of a confluence monitor and an analyte monitor.

Disclosed herein are methods of controlling, modulating, increasing, or improving protein yield in a sample mixture comprising a target protein and impurities comprising monitoring in real-time an ultraviolet (UV) signal of the sample mixture during protein filtration in a harvest skid.

An electrochemical measurement device for measuring a chemical substance generated or consumed in a biological sample in a solution includes electrode surfaces, a spacer, and at least one wall plate. The electrode surfaces, the spacer, and the wall plate are arranged on the same flat surface. Each of the electrode surfaces has a diameter d.sub.el not more than 80 m. A height of the spacer has a predetermined value within a range given by h=21.8(d.sub.el+0.8)/(d.sub.el+9.7)5 [m]. The spacer has a structure in which an enclosed three-dimensional region is not formed by the biological sample, the flat surface, and the spacer while the biological sample is in contact with the spacer. The wall plate has a property of being impervious to a dissolved substance in the solution and has a height not less than the height of the spacer. Two of the electrode surfaces are separated by the wall plate.

A process for oxidising a substrate selected from hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), diformylfuran (DFF), hydroxymethylfurancarboxylic acid (HMFCA) and formylfurancarboxylic acid (FFCA). Said process comprises mixing said substrate with catalase, one or more further enzymes and hydrogen peroxide to form a reaction mixture. Said one or more further enzymes have the ability to catalyse oxidation of said substrate. Said hydrogen peroxide is provided at a total molar ratio of at least about 0.1:1 hydrogen peroxide to substrate.

An apparatus and method to maintain pH within a range conducive for cell growth in a bicarbonate-containing cell culture system without the addition of base. The method relies on the gas transfer characteristics of the bioreactor system to modulate the CO.sub.2 transfer to and from the cell culture such that the pH of the cell culture can be maintained within a desired range.

Provided is a component analysis device, which comprises an analysis unit for measuring a component fed to the plurality of containers and analyzing the component thus measured, wherein the plurality of containers are at least a first container and a second container, wherein the first container retains a first solution containing a substance that releases adhesion between multiple cells forming the liver cell tissue, and the second container retains a buffer solution, and wherein the analysis unit measures an amount of the component discharged from the liver cell tissue in the first container into the first solution and an amount of the component discharged from the liver cell tissue in the second container into the buffer solution in the second container, and analyzes an amount of the component to be discharged via a bile duct in the liver cell tissue.

An object of the invention is to provide a cell culture monitoring device capable of monitoring the number of cells during culture and a cell culture system. The cell culture monitoring device for monitoring proliferation of cells includes: a detection unit configured to detect particles of exosomes in culture supernatant; and an analysis unit configured to calculate the number of cells based on an obtained detection result. The cell culture system includes the cell culture monitoring device and an automatic culture device.

A photobioreactor for culturing light-sensitive microbes is provided, the reactor comprising a body comprising at least one floor panel and at least one wall extending upwardly around the periphery of the floor panel to define a body, wherein the at least one floor panel comprises at least one graded segment so as to define a trough along the bottom of the body towards which debris within the body flows, at least one illumination panel within the body so that there is free flow of liquid along the sides and floor panel of the body, at least one gas inlet within the trough in the floor panel, for providing an upward stream of gas into the body so as to generate air lift of the light sensitive microbes within the body. Also provided is a method for growing light-sensitive microbes.

Embodiments of a modular tubular bioreactor system for culturing an aqueous culture of microorganisms are described herein. The tubular bioreactor may comprise culture tubes configured in a vertically spaced and horizontally staggered arrangement to optimize the application of light to the culture in phototrophic and mixotrophic cultivation.