An apparatus includes a cellular culture container having an interior cavity. A cellular culture area is located in the interior cavity. The cellular culture area is configured to receive at least one cell to be cultured. A condensation director is configured to reduce and/or prevent the entry of condensation into the cellular culture area.

Proposed are a three-dimensional structuring method of cells and a three-dimensional structuring system of cells capable of efficiently bonding multiple cell clusters in a three-dimensional direction, pursuant to their growth, while ensuring safety. A plurality of fibers, in which one end of each of the fibers is held by a flat plate, are inserted together with the flat plate into a flow path through which a culture solution is supplied, a plurality of cell clusters are placed in the flow path upon causing the cell clusters to run with a liquid flow of the culture solution, and each of the cell clusters is cultured by being stacked on an outer surface of each of the fibers with the flat plate as a growth origin.

Methods and systems for measuring viability and function of islet cells or stem cell-derived beta cells in an implantable device featuring setting the temperature of the cells in the implantable device to a low temperature to reduce metabolic levels of the cells and reduce oxygen requirements of the cells, and measuring oxygen consumption rates. An oxygen sensor at the inlet of the implantable device and an oxygen sensor at the outlet of the implantable device are used to calculate oxygen consumption rates of the cells, which in turn are indicative of viability. The reduction in temperature can also be used for loading cells into the implantable devices to help reduce ischemic and/or physical injury. The present invention may be used with other cell types, e.g. hepatocytes, heart cells, muscle cells, etc.

Disclosed herein are devices, methods and compositions for making and using microfluidic devices comprising making a microfluid device comprising one or more channels; and coating at least a portion of an interior surface of at least one channel, wherein one or more gradients are formed by simultaneously introducing into the device a first cellular culture media composition having a certain concentration of a gas, an active agent or both and a second composition having a concentration of a gas, an active agent or both that is/are different from that of the first composition. Such devices are used to investigate cellular responses to physiological states and active agents.

A culture device includes a culture vessel that contains a culture solution for culturing cells, a gas supply device that supplies a gas to the culture vessel, and a humidification device that humidifies the gas flowing from the gas supply device to the culture vessel. The humidification device includes a hollow fiber membrane filter that includes a hollow fiber membrane through which the gas from the gas supply device passes and a casing that accommodates the hollow fiber membrane, a water supply device that fills the casing of the hollow fiber membrane filter with water, and a first heater that heats the hollow fiber membrane filter.

The present invention relates to a device (100) for monitoring the development of a biological material, said device in the orientation intended for use comprising: a housing (2) having an extension in a longitudinal direction (X) and an extension in a transversal direction (Y), said housing comprises: two or more culture dish compartments (4), each adapted to accommodate a culture dish (6) comprising a biological material (8) to be monitored, each said compartment being separated from each of said other compartments, said two or more compartments being arranged along the longitudinal direction; each said culture dish compartment (4) comprising a lid (10) adapted to be able to be shifted between an open configuration in which access to the interior (12) of said culture dish compartment is provided, and a closed configuration sealing off the interior of said culture dish compartment from its surroundings; wherein each said culture dish compartment comprises an inlet (14) for supplying gas to and an outlet (16) for removing gas from said culture dish compartment; wherein each said culture dish compartment comprising heating means (18) for heating the interior of said culture dish compartment; wherein said housing comprises one or more cameras (20) for capturing images of a biological material in a culture dish.

Cell culture systems and methods provide improved immunotherapeutic product manufacturing with greater scalability, flexibility, and automation. Cell culture systems are configured with interchangeable cartridges, allowing versatility and scalability. Systems are configured to have multiple connected cell culture chambers, which allows parallel processing of different types of cells. Gas-impermeable cell culture chambers and methods for generating cells in closed systems prevent contamination and user error. Methods for recycling cell culture medium provide additional efficiencies.

Control of humidity in chemical reactors, and associated systems and methods, are generally described. In certain embodiments, the humidity within gas transport conduits and chambers can be controlled to inhibit unwanted condensation within gas transport pathways. By inhibiting condensation within gas transport pathways, clogging of such pathways can be limited (or eliminated) such that transport of gas can be more easily and controllably achieved. In addition, strategies for purging condensed liquid from chemical reactor systems are also described.

Reactors, systems and processes for the production of biomass by culturing microorganisms in aqueous liquid culture medium circulating in a loop reactor which utilize substantially vertical flow zones are described. Recovery and processing of the culture microorganisms to obtain products, such as proteins or hydrocarbons is described.

A fermentation unit and a method of carrying out fermentation are described. The fermentation unit can be transported from one facility to another to carry out a fermentation process. The fermentation unit and method allow for the fermentation of a C1-containing substrate from a source at a particular facility to produce products such as alcohols and acids. Examples of the source of the C1-containing substrate include without limitation steel manufacturing processes, coal and biomass gasification processes, coke manufacturing processes, etc. The fermentation unit can be housed within a container having a volume of less than about 6 m.sup.3.