An object of the present invention is to provide a novel approach capable of conveniently producing a large quantity of substantially uniform size cell aggregates. Provided is a method for producing cell aggregates using a cell culture bag, the cell culture bag having a lower face comprising a plurality of recesses, the method comprising the steps of: (1) adding cells and a medium to the cell culture bag, stirring the contents, and culturing the cells while applying a pressure to the cell culture bag; and (2) recovering the formed cell aggregates after the completion of culture.

An apparatus for sampling a cell culture includes a sampler for connecting to a bioreactor with a fixed bed including the cell culture. A releasably attached sample portion for positioning within or adjacent the fixed bed includes a substrate on which cells may be grown and then removed from the bioreactor to provide an indication of cell growth. A kit for sampling a cell culture bed of a bioreactor includes the sampler for sampling the cell culture bed with the releasably attached sample portion, along with a container adapted to detach the sample portion from the sampler. A method of obtaining a sample of a cell culture in a bed within a bioreactor includes positioning a sampler positioned at least partially in or adjacent to the bed to promote the growth of cells on a releasably attached portion of the sampler, withdrawing the sampler from the bioreactor, and detaching the portion of the sampler.

A cell clump dispersing device for dispersing cell clumps is provided, including a dispersion structure module that includes at least one structure for providing fluid flow shear force. Each structure for providing liquid flow shear force includes an inlet for cell clumps to be dispersed to enter the structure, and at least one outlet for dispersed cell clumps to flow out of the structure. A diameter of the outlet is smaller than that of the inlet, and an end of at least one of the structure is capable of being connected to an end of another of the structure.

The present disclosure is directed to portable bioreactors that allow the custom production of microbial cultures, and in some embodiments, the production of custom microbial biofilms. Also disclosed are portable bioreactor systems that are networked and capable of cooperative work in parallel.

A target particle transferring device is disclosed, which comprises: (a) a substrate with a thickness of T and a width of W, having top and bottom portions, the top portion having a top surface and the bottom portion having a bottom surface; (b) a notch structure formed in the bottom portion of the substrate, comprising: a groove with a width of W1, located at a distance oft below the top surface of the substrate, wherein the groove is formed in the bottom portion from the bottom surface extending toward the top portion; and (c) a target substrate portion with a width of W2 and a thickness of T, located in the top and bottom portions of the substrate and being surrounded by the groove. Methods of transferring a target particle from one device to another is also disclosed.

A microfluidic device for controlled generation and/or culture and/or maturation of three-dimensional cells and/or tissue constructs that includes a culture chamber may include: a confinement apparatus configured to define at least one compartment configured to contain a cellular matrix and at least one compartment configured to contain a culture medium, the confinement apparatus being hydrophobic and pervious to the culture medium; and/or at least one counter element. The confinement apparatus and at least one counter element may be reciprocally mobile between resting and compression positions of the cellular matrix. A method for controlled generation and/or culture and/or maturation of three-dimensional cells and/or tissue constructs at a microscale may include: controlled compression of a cellular matrix for a predetermined period of time. The cellular matrix may be delimited by a confinement apparatus that is pervious to a culture medium.

Process for continuous inoculation of a food product, in particular a dairy product, with ferments, comprising the following steps: solid concentrated ferments are transformed into liquid concentrated ferments, the transformed concentrated ferments are continuously injected into a flow of liquid to be inoculated, characterized in that the liquid concentrated ferments are transformedby thawing frozen concentrated ferments in a temperature controlled chamber orby rehydrating freeze-dried concentrated ferments.

A target particle transferring device is disclosed, which comprises: (a) a substrate with a thickness of T and a width of W, having top and bottom portions, the top portion having a top surface and the bottom portion having a bottom surface; (b) a notch structure formed in the bottom portion of the substrate, comprising: a groove with a width of W1, located at a distance oft below the top surface of the substrate, wherein the groove is formed in the bottom portion from the bottom surface extending toward the top portion; and (c) a target substrate portion with a width of W2 and a thickness of T, located in the top and bottom portions of the substrate and being surrounded by the groove. Methods of transferring a target particle from one device to another is also disclosed.

A microfluidic dual-well device is disclosed. The device comprises: (a) a first substrate having a first end, a second end, and a culture microwell forming portion; (b) a plurality of culture microwells; (c) a second substrate having a first end, a second end, and a capture microwell forming portion, the two ends of the second substrate being respectively bounded to the two ends of the first substrate; (d) a plurality of capture microwells; (e) a microfluidic channel; (f) a microfluidic inlet port; and (g) a microfluidic outlet port; wherein the microfluidic channel is in fluidic connections with the culture microwells, the capture microwells, and the inlet and outlet ports. Methods of capturing and transferring a single cell or a single cell colony for culture, and method of transferring a target cell from a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structure of culture microwells to a culture plate for culture are also disclosed.

A microfluidic device for controlled generation and/or culture and/or maturation of three-dimensional cells and/or tissue constructs that includes a culture chamber may include: a confinement apparatus configured to define at least one compartment configured to contain a cellular matrix and at least one compartment configured to contain a culture medium, the confinement apparatus being hydrophobic and pervious to the culture medium; and/or at least one counter element. The confinement apparatus and at least one counter element may be reciprocally mobile between resting and compression positions of the cellular matrix. A method for controlled generation and/or culture and/or maturation of three-dimensional cells and/or tissue constructs at a microscale may include: controlled compression of a cellular matrix for a predetermined period of time. The cellular matrix may be delimited by a confinement apparatus that is pervious to a culture medium.