Provided herein are methods for the assembly of a polynucleic acid sequence that is at least partially carried out on a microfluidic device; methods for the preparation of a library of polynucleic acid sequences; microfluidic devices; methods for designing nucleic acid sequences; methods for planning the assembly of a polynucleic acid sequence from a plurality of nucleic acid sequences; systems comprising components for carrying out these methods; computer programs which, when run on a computer, implements these methods; and computer readable medium or carrier signals encoding such a computer program.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for eliminating or greatly reducing the cleaning process of frozen confection apparatus or machines by having the comestible mixture contained in a flexible container or bag. The comestible mixture is chilled and/or frozen and dispensed from the bag without contacting other parts of the machine, thereby helping to prevent the comestible mixture from being contaminated with bacterial, viral, chemical, or physical contaminants.

Said brewing system is intended to be fitted to a bioreactor which can be used in particular in milk and cheese factories, fermented dough production units, breweries, wine-making units or even low-temperature fermentation units in an aerobic or anaerobic environment, in particular lacto-fermentation units for the purpose of preserving vegetables, wastewater treatment stations, fish farming ponds with or without temperature control. According to the invention, said brewing system comprises:—at least one flexible and sealed brewing chamber (2, 3),—means (4) for receiving a fluid referred to as the filling fluid,—means (5, 51, 70, 71) for transferring the filling fluid between the brewing chambers (2, 3), and means (4) for receiving the filling fluid as well as varying the volume of the filling fluid admitted into each brewing chamber.

A frozen fluid mixing and dispensing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a flexible-walled package enclosing a cavity that receives a liquid that is mixed with air and chilled in the apparatus to form an associated frozen slurry therethrough.

A kneading method for kneading a mixture by repetitively forming a compressed space that is formed by an expanding-contracting body of a segment in an open state and an expanding-contracting body of a segment in a closed state adjacent to the segment in the open state and filled with the mixture in a compressed state pressed by the expanding-contracting body, by changing a combination of an operation state of each of the plurality of segments.

Systems, methods, and devices are provided for mixing very small volumes of liquids, creams, and ointments. The system includes a mixing apparatus and a flexible tube in ingredients can be added to a base formulation via a connector. The mixing apparatus can mix the contents of the tube non-invasively.

A biological cell preservation or culturing arrangement (20) comprises a chamber defining a fluid retaining space (30) for retaining in use a body of fluid (34) and a deformable membrane (36) in communication with the fluid retaining space, and being manipulable by an electroactive polymer actuator arrangement (38) to undergo a defined topology change to induce in the fluid a pattern of fluid flow by which fluid is exchanged between a sub-region (46) immediately proximal the deformable membrane and a sub-region (48) removed from the deformable membrane.

A method of separating an analyte from a biological sample is described. The method comprises providing particles capable of binding said analyte when present in a solution in a container, said container comprising walls, wherein at least a part of said walls is flexible. The particles are suspended in the solution by exerting a force on the flexible part of the walls of the container more than one time. An aliquot of the suspended particles is then removed from the container. The removed aliquot is dispensed into a sample, and the sample is incubated under conditions suitable to immobilize said analyte on the particles. The particles with the bound analyte are then separated from other material and at least part of the biological sample is removed.

A method of separating an analyte from a biological sample is described. The method comprises providing particles capable of binding said analyte when present in a solution in a container, said container comprising walls, wherein at least a part of said walls is flexible. The particles are suspended in the solution by exerting a force on the flexible part of the walls of the container more than one time. An aliquot of the suspended particles is then removed from the container. The removed aliquot is dispensed into a sample, and the sample is incubated under conditions suitable to immobilize said analyte on the particles. The particles with the bound analyte are then separated from other material and at least part of the biological sample is removed.

A biological cell preservation or culturing arrangement (20) comprises a chamber defining a fluid retaining space (30) for retaining in use a body of fluid (34) and a deformable membrane (36) in communication with the fluid retaining space, and being manipulable by an electroactive polymer actuator arrangement (38) to undergo a defined topology change to induce in the fluid a pattern of fluid flow by which fluid is exchanged between a sub-region (46) immediately proximal the deformable membrane and a sub-region (48) removed from the deformable membrane.