Abstract: The present invention provides a photo-responsive composition comprising a photo-responsive material having the property of differential adhesiveness in response to changes in light irradiation. The photo-responsive composition is used as an adhesive surface for the growth anchorage-dependent cells in a culturing dish. The position of a particular cell on the photo-responsive composition is irradiated with light to release only the cell attached at that position, and the released cell may be sortingly collected. According to the present invention, cells including anchorage-dependent cells can be sortingly collected through a simple operation while maintaining the extracellular matrix and membrane proteins of the cells, as well as the organ-specific functions of the cells, and thus without damage to the cells.

Abstract: A crown ether compound is shown below and useful as a separating agent for chemical compounds. ##STR1## (In the formula, A and B represent hydrogen atoms, straight chain or branched alkyl groups having 1-6 carbon atoms, allyl groups having 6-10 carbon atoms, or aralkyl groups having 7-9 carbon atoms. Although A and B may be different groups, it is preferable that they be the same.R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a straight chain or branched alkyl group having 1-20 carbon atoms, or preferably an alkyl group having 6-16 carbon atoms. R.sub.1 may be bonded to any carbon atom on the cyclical ester group and its number is 1-12, and preferably 1-3. n represents an integer from 3-10, and preferably 4-8, with 5 or 6 being even more preferable.In addition R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 represent straight chain or branched alkyl groups having 1-30, and preferably 6-20 carbon atoms, or aryl groups having 6-18 carbon atoms, or aralkyl groups having 7-30 carbon atoms. The location of R.sub.2 and R.sub.

Abstract: A filler for separating an optical isomer comprising a surface-hydrophobic filler component and an optically active lipophilic crown compound carried on the filler component by adsorption. The filler may be charged in a column to carry out separation of a sample such as amino acid or the like in the form of an aqueous solution.