CPC C12M 41/46 (2013.01) [C12M 21/08 (2013.01); C12M 23/16 (2013.01); C12M 23/22 (2013.01); C12M 23/44 (2013.01); C12M 25/14 (2013.01); C12M 29/10 (2013.01); C12M 41/48 (2013.01); C12N 5/0062 (2013.01); C12M 41/36 (2013.01)] | 24 Claims |
1. A microscopy-enabled bioreactor system, comprising:
one or more bioreactor units, wherein each of the one or more bioreactor units comprises:
a sample well filled with a three-dimensional (3D) cell growth medium, wherein the 3D cell growth medium comprises a plurality of hydrogel particles and a liquid cell culture medium, wherein the hydrogel particles are swelled with the liquid cell culture medium to form a granular gel,
a medium collection chamber fluidly connected to the sample well by a first filter material; and a liquid medium reservoir fluidly connected to the sample well by a second filter material, wherein the system is further configured so that the application of negative gage pressure to the medium collection chamber or positive pressure to the liquid medium reservoir perfuses fluid from the liquid medium reservoir, through the second filter material then through the three-dimensional cell growth medium, through the first filter material, and finally into the medium collection chamber;
wherein the system is configured so that application of negative gage pressure to the medium collection chamber or positive pressure to the sample well actively permeates fluid from the sample well through the three-dimensional cell growth medium, through the first filter material, and finally into the medium collection chamber;
wherein the first filter material has a porosity smaller than the size of the swollen hydrogel particles,
wherein the bottom of the sample well is optically transparent.
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