This invention provides an isolated disc stem cell population, compositions, and methods of obtaining and growing the same. Moreover, this invention provides an isolated discosphere, compositions, and methods of obtaining and growing the same. An artificial disc containing the cells of the present invention is provided together with methods of making the same. This invention also provides a method of treating a subject having a herniated disc utilizing the cells and methods of the invention.

The present disclosure provides a special culture apparatus for a 3D biological tissue, and a method for preparing block-shaped cultured meat. The special culture apparatus for a 3D biological tissue includes: a 3D biological tissue culture tank for accommodating a 3D biological tissue, and a liquid storage tank for containing a culture medium; the 3D biological tissue culture tank is connected to the liquid storage tank by means of a pipeline to form a circuit for the culture medium to circularly flow; and an opening of the 3D biological tissue culture tank is provided with a sealing plug, an inner side of the sealing plug is provided with a plurality of culture medium infusion needles that penetrate the 3D biological tissue when in use.

The present invention provide a medium composition for suspension culture of an adherent cell, containing (1) a chitin nanofiber; and (2) a chitosan nanofiber or a polysaccharide.

A plant fat-based scaffold for growing cell-based meat products for consumption. The scaffold comprises primarily plant fats or waxes in addition to cell binding proteins and optional additional components that assist in the growth of cultivated animal cells. The scaffold can exist in both a liquified state during sterilization and a solid state during the formation of the scaffold, the seeding of the cultivated cells, and the cellular growth phase. The scaffold is capable of remaining in the final product for consumption or is partially or completely melted out of the final product and recycled into raw material for forming new scaffolds.

The present invention provides a foam body suitable for producing a cultured meat having a good texture. The foam body of the present invention includes alginic acid and/or an alginate. The foam body has an elastic modulus M, as determined by a test, of 8×10.sup.4 Pa or less. In the test, the foam body is immersed in 22±3° C. water for 4 hours to prepare a specimen having a post-immersion thickness of 5±1 mm. Stress and strain caused in the specimen are measured by applying a load to the specimen for 5 seconds to compress the specimen in a thickness direction at 0.5 mm/sec. A stress caused in the specimen when the specimen is compressed by 10% of an initial thickness is determined, and a value obtained by dividing the stress by a corresponding strain is determined as the elastic modulus M.

A method is disclosed for coating and patterning hydrogels in order to modify surface properties. The method exploits the water content of the hydrogel and the hydrophobicity of the reaction solvent to create a thin oxide adhesion layer on the hydrogel surface. This oxide adhesion layer enables rapid transformation of the hydrophilic, cell non-adhesive hydrogel into either a highly hydrophobic or a cell-adhesive hydrogel by reaction with an alkylphosphonic acid or an α,ω-diphosphonoalkane, respectively. Also disclosed are coated, patterned hydrogels and constructs comprising the coated, patterned hydrogels.

Synthetic cellular support systems in the form of engineered extracellular matrices are provided. The cellular support system may include a three-dimensional scaffold structure comprising at least one void. At least one suspended fibril spans across the at least one void in the three-dimensional scaffold structure. The suspended fibril comprises at least one extracellular matrix protein, such as fibronectin, and at least one glycan, such as a hyaluronic acid. The suspended fibril is capable of supporting cells and promoting three-dimensional cellular growth. In various aspects, a plurality of suspended fibrils may span the void to form a three-dimensional suspended fibrillar network.

The present invention provides a culture method of cells and/or tissues including culturing cells and/or tissues in a suspended state by using a medium composition having an effect of preventing sedimentation of cells and/or tissues, which is afforded by substantially retaining the cells and/or tissues, without substantially increasing the viscosity of the solution, by nanofibers which have been added to the solution and uniformly dispersed in the liquid medium, and the like.

The present application relates to a multi-layer film comprising a nutrient material for cell culture, a method for preparing same, and the use of same. The multi-layer film of the present application can be utilized for cell culture for preparing cultured meat.

A plant fat-based scaffold for growing cell-based meat products for consumption. The scaffold comprises primarily plant fats or waxes in addition to cell binding proteins and optional additional components that assist in the growth of cultivated animal cells. The scaffold can exist in both a liquified state during sterilization and a solid state during the formation of the scaffold, the seeding of the cultivated cells, and the cellular growth phase. The scaffold is capable of remaining in the final product for consumption or is partially or completely melted out of the final product and recycled into raw material for forming new scaffolds.