Abstract: A cell culture article including a substrate having nanoparticles on the substrate surface, the nanoparticle including: a polymer of formula (I) where (x), (y), (z), R, R?, R?, S, W, and X, are as defined herein. Methods for making the cell culture article or cell culture article and methods for performing an assay of a ligand with the article are also disclosed.

Abstract: Synthetic surfaces capable of supporting culture of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells in a chemically defined medium include a swellable (meth)acrylate layer and a peptide conjugated to the swellable (meth)acrylate layer. The swellable (meth)acrylate layer may be formed by polymerizing monomers in a composition that includes hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-carboxyehylacrylate, and tetra(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate. The conjugated peptide may include an amino acid sequence of XaanProGlnValThrArgGlyAspValPheThrMetPro, where n is an integer from 0 to 3 and where Xaa is any amino acid. Further, disclosed herein is a swellable (meth)acrylate synthetic surface which can be sterilized by gamma irradiation.

Abstract: Methods for performing surface-mediated protein delivery into living cells, and fabricating protein-transfected cell cluster arrays are provided. The method comprises providing a protein-containing mixture; depositing said protein-containing mixture onto a surface at defined locations; affixing the protein-containing mixture to the surface as microspots; and plating cells onto the surface in sufficient density and under conditions for the proteins to be delivered into the cells. The protein-containing mixture comprises any suitable amino acid sequence, including peptides, proteins, protein-domains, antibodies, or protein-nucleic acid conjugates, etc., with a carrier reagent. Protein-transfected cell arrays may be used for rapid and direct, screening of protein or enzymatic functions or any given intracellular protein interaction in the natural environment of a living cell, as well as for high-throughput screening of other biological and chemical analytes, which affect the functions of these proteins.

Abstract: Methods for performing surface-mediated protein delivery into living cells, and fabricating protein-transfected cell cluster arrays are provided. The method comprises providing a protein-containing mixture; depositing said protein-containing mixture onto a surface at defined locations; affixing the protein-containing mixture to the surface as microspots; and plating cells onto the surface in sufficient density and under conditions for the proteins to be delivered into the cells. The protein-containing mixture comprises any suitable amino acid sequence, including peptides, proteins, protein-domains, antibodies, or protein-nucleic acid conjugates, etc., with a carrier reagent. Protein-transfected cell arrays may be used for rapid and direct, screening of protein or enzymatic functions or any given intracellular protein interaction in the natural environment of a living cell, as well as for high-throughput screening of other biological and chemical analytes, which affect the functions of these proteins.

Abstract: A multilayered cell culture apparatus for the culturing of cells is disclosed. The cell culture apparatus is defined as an integral structure having a plurality of cell culture chambers in combination with tracheal space(s). The body of the apparatus has imparted therein gas permeable membranes in combination with tracheal spaces that will allow the free flow of gases between the cell culture chambers and the external environment. The flask body also includes an aperture that will allow access to the cell growth chambers by means of a needle or cannula. The size of the apparatus, and location of an optional neck and cap section, allows for its manipulation by standard automated assay equipment, further making the apparatus ideal for high throughput applications.

Abstract: A coated microcarrier for cell culture includes a microcarrier base and a polymeric coating grafted to the base via a polymerization initiator. A method for forming the coated microcarrier includes (i) conjugating a polymerization initiator to the microcarrier base to form an initiator-conjugated microcarrier base; (ii) contacting the initiator-conjugated microcarrier base with monomers; and (iii) activating the initiator to initiate polymerization and graft the polymer to the base.

Abstract: Described herein are multi-purpose substrates composed of (1) a base coated with a calcium phosphate coating and (2) a fluorophore-labeled collagen adsorbed on the calcium phosphate coating. The multi-purpose substrates are useful in culturing and studying the activity of a variety of cells. The multi-purpose substrates described herein can be used for both solution- and image-based analysis of cultured cells. New methods for producing and using such coated substrates are also disclosed.

Abstract: A wall-flow honeycomb filter comprising a ceramic monolith having a plurality of porous walls formed therein. The plurality of porous walls define a plurality of inlet cells and a plurality of outlet cells extending between an inlet end face and an outlet end face of the monolith. The inlet cells are open at the inlet end face and plugged at or near the outlet end face. The outlet cells are open at the outlet end face and plugged at or near the inlet end face. The monolith has a ratio of a combined cross-sectional area of the inlet cells to a combined cross-sectional area of the outlet cells greater than 1. The monolith has at least one inlet cell cluster which contains an N×M group of inlet cells, N and M being integers greater than 1, each inlet cell cluster consisting of a plurality of inlet cells separated by inlet cluster walls.

Abstract: A cell culture apparatus includes a cell culture chamber formed by a first major surface, an opposing second major surface spaced apart from the first major surface, and a first side wall around the first chamber and extending between the first and second major surfaces. A portion of the first sidewall proximate the first major surface comprises an infrared absorbent material, and a portion the first sidewall proximate the second major surface is formed from substantially non-infrared absorbent material. The first major surface is formed by a gas permeable polymeric film that is impermeable to cell culture liquid.

Abstract: Described herein are substrates coated with crystals having uniform crystalline morphology on the surface of the substrate. The coated substrates are useful in culturing and performing functional assays on cells such as, for example, resorption studies on bone cells. New methods for producing such coated substrates are also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for trapping extraneous gas or bubbles is disclosed. The device is defined as having a gas collection area in a tapered neck portion such that when used as a cell culturing apparatus, extraneous gas or bubbles are trapped and isolated from the cell growth areas where cells or media reside.

Abstract: A multilayered cell culture apparatus for the culturing of cells is disclosed. The cell culture apparatus includes a unitary flask body including a rigid upper and lower surface, connected by side walls. The cell growth apparatus comprises multiple cell growth chambers stacked in vertical alignment and orientation within the unitary flask body. The stacked chambers are held in position by unitary connecting columns that run through each cell growth chamber and terminate at the rigid upper and lower surfaces of the apparatus. The cell growth chambers are separated by tracheal spaces that allow air from the external environment to contact the cell growth surface of each individual cell growth chamber.

Abstract: An assembly for culturing cells includes a housing defining a reservoir for containing cell culture media and an opening in fluid communication with the reservoir. The cell culture assembly further includes a filter valve assembly configured to sealingly engage the opening. The filter valve assembly includes a flexible membrane, a contiguous side wall, an end wall, and a microbial filter. The end wall has an opening and extends across one end of the side wall to form a major cavity within the side wall and the end wall. The flexible membrane has a slit spanning the membrane and is disposable within the major cavity such that the membrane sealingly divides the major cavity into (i) a chamber formed between the end wall and the membrane and (ii) a minor cavity formed by the membrane and a portion of the side wall. The minor cavity is in fluid communication with the reservoir.

Abstract: A method for producing a cell culture article having a synthetic polymer layer for incubating with cells includes diluting one or more (meth)acrylate monomers in a solvent and dispersing the diluted monomers on a surface of the cell culture article. Some or substantially all of the solvent is removed and the monomers are then polymerized on the surface of the article to form the synthetic polymer layer attached to the surface of the article.

Abstract: A nested permeable support device is described herein that can be used to perform various experiments to test new therapeutic compounds (new chemical entities). In one application, the nested permeable support device is used to perform a first pass assay to determine the bioavailability of a new chemical entity following absorption through the digestive tract and metabolism by the liver.

Abstract: A method for treating a microcracked, ceramic substrate is provided that obviates the need for filling the microcracks of the substrate via a passivation step prior to sintering a layer of washcoat to the surfaces of the substrate that may either contain a catalyst, or provide a support layer for a catalyst subsequently applied. In the first step of the method, a slurry of particles of a washcoating composition is applied over the surface of the substrate such that particles of the composition are lodged into microcracks of the substrate. Next, the substrate is heat treated to between about 700° C. and 1300° C. The method is particularly applicable to ceramic honeycomb structures used as catalytic converters in automotive exhaust systems.

Abstract: An article comprising a substrate; and a carboxylic acid alkali salt disposed on the substrate, wherein the carboxylic acid alkali salt is derived from a carboxylic acid having at least one dissociation constant greater than or equal to 5. The article may be useful, for example, in the removal of an acid gas component from a gas.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for treating cell culture vessels including multi-layer cell culture vessels with ultrasonic energy to dissociate cells growing on surfaces of cell culture vessels.

Abstract: This invention relates three dimensional porous cell culture matrices or scaffolds which have directional porous structure. More particularly, this invention relates to three dimensional porous cell culture matrices or scaffolds for cell culture which are derived from or contain gums including naturally occurring gums, plant gums, galactomannan gums or derivatives thereof. The invention also relates to methods of making the matrices, articles of manufacture (e.g., cell culture vessels and labware) having such matrices or scaffolds, methods of applying these materials to cell culture surfaces, and methods of using cell culture vessels having these three dimensional porous cell culture matrices or scaffolds.

Abstract: Hydrophobic polymer surfaces whose level of protein binding is less than about 50-80 ng/cm2 are achieved by: (1) applying a coating solution composed of a solvent and a non-ionic surfactant having a HLB number of less than 5 to the surface; and (2) drying the surface to remove the solvent and thereby bring the surfactant into direct contact with the hydrophobic polymer. The combination of a low HLB number and the drying step have been found to produce low binding surfaces which can withstand multiple washes with water and/or protein-containing solutions Alternatively, the low binding surfaces can be produced by applying the non-ionic surfactant to the mold surfaces which contact molten polymer and form the polymer into a desired shape, e.g., into a multi-well plate, a pipette tip, or the like. Further, the low binding surfaces may be produced by incorporating non-soluble, non-ionic surfactants having an HLB number of less than or equal to 10 into a polymer blend prior to molding the article.