An aspect of the present invention makes it possible to easily observe both surfaces of a cell sheet in a condition in which the cell sheet is at a stable position in a culture medium. A cell sheet production device (100) includes: a container (20); and a support unit (10) removably held in the container (20), the support unit (10) including a mesh sheet (2) and a base (3) which holds the mesh sheet (2) such that the mesh sheet (2) floats from a bottom surface of the container (20), the support unit (10) being held in the container (20) such that the support unit is at a fixed position in vertical and horizontal directions in a culture medium.

This disclosure describes hardware for microfluidic chips and an associated support module for facilitating operation of one or more microfluidic chips. The microfluidic chips described herein are designed for supporting multiple different tissue types, including kidney tissue, liver tissue, adipose cells, and so forth. Chip geometry facilities fluid flow through one or more channels of the chip with a particular flow rate. For example, shear forces are reduced where needed to ensure proper flow rate of fluid in the channels. The chamber geometry and the geometry of the channels ensures that a desired amount of oxygen is delivered to sample cells or tissues in a controlled manner.

Incubators including an enclosure with an internal chamber configured to support a cell culture plate comprising a plurality of wells are disclosed. The enclosure includes a plurality of openings configured to allow access to the wells. The incubators include a sealing element configured to seal the plurality of openings in the enclosure. The sealing element comprises a plurality of openings corresponding to at least a subset of the plurality of openings in the enclosure. Access to the internal chamber can be provided by aligning the plurality of openings in the sealing element with the plurality of openings in the enclosure. Methods for using the incubators are also provided.

A cell culture container comprising a base section and a compressible wall element. The base section includes a substantially planar rigid base plate. The compressible wall element extends from the base section in an axial direction and defines an internal volume of the cell culture container. The compressible wall element is compressible in the axial direction. There is also disclosed a bioreactor that includes the cell culture container.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides tissue grafts, such as vascularized bone grafts, and methods for preparing and using such tissue grafts. In some embodiments the tissue grafts are made using pluripotent stem cells, such as autologous pluripotent stem cells. In some embodiments, the tissue grafts are made by creating a digital model of a tissue portion to be replaced or repaired, such as a bone defect, partitioning the model into two or more model segments, and then producing tissue graft segments having a size and shape corresponding to that of the model segments. Such tissue graft segments may be assembled to form a tissue graft having a size and shape corresponding to that of the tissue portion to be replaced or repaired.

A deepwater photobioreactor system including a vertical stack extending between an ocean surface and an ocean floor. The vertical stack includes an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit where the inlet conduit is arranged to transport at least seawater and the outlet conduit is arranged to transport at least a biomass. The system includes a first photobioreactor in fluid communication with the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit that is connected to the vertical stack via the inlet and outlet conduits at a first position along the vertical stack below the ocean surface. The first bioreactor is arranged to cultivate the biomass. The system also includes a mooring system arranged to anchor the vertical stack to the ocean floor and arranged to receive the biomass via the outlet conduit and output the biomass to a harvest pipeline.

A microfluidic device for analyzing permeability of substances through a membrane. Flow channels pass respective fluid flows with the substances through the housing between respective connectors. An access cavity extends from outside into the housing through the first flow channel and into the second flow channel for accessing an inside of the housing. The membrane can be placed over a cavity opening forming a fluid interconnection between overlapping areas of the flow channels A clamping ring in the first flow channel holds the sample membrane in place over the cavity opening while the membrane is exposed to the respective fluid flows through the flow channels on either sides of the membrane.

The present disclosure provides a fluid delivery consumable for delivering a fluid dose to a bioreactor. The fluid delivery consumable comprising a vial for holding the fluid dose, the vial having an outlet and an open end opposite to the outlet, a plunger engaged with the open end and operable to urge the fluid dose toward the outlet, and a connector proximal to the outlet, the connector being attachable to the bioreactor and adapted to move the fluid dose from the vial to the bioreactor based on operation of the plunger.

An apparatus for storing and monitoring blood culture bottles. The apparatus has a moveable rack configured as a drum having a plurality of receptacles therein for receiving blood culture bottles. The drum is disposed in a housing. The housing includes a heater and a blower for incubating the blood culture bottles at elevated temperatures. Optionally the apparatus has a plurality of drums, each having a plurality of receptacles for receiving blood culture bottles.

Described herein are cassettes and methods for using these cassettes for cryopreserving biomaterials (e.g., a bioengineered construct or natural tissue sample) by vitrification while reducing or preventing the loss of viability associated with conventional preservation methods.