Abstract: An apparatus is provided with a cell culture container having a cell culture region made of a hole formed on a substrate, a semi-permeable membrane covering a top plane of the cell culture region and a culture medium replacement part provided over the semi-permeable membrane, a mechanism for supplying a cell culture medium into the cell culture container, and a microscopic optical mechanism for enabling long-term observation of the cell within the cell culture region. This apparatus makes it possible to culture a cell group originating from a particular single cell, to perform culture and observation while identifying cells to be subjected to interaction during the process of culturing cells, and observe a difference in variation between the particular cell and other cells. There is also provided a mechanism which makes it possible to collect only a cell assuming a particular state and perform analysis or biochemical measurement of a gene of the cell, an expressed mRNA and the like.

Abstract: Novel technical means is provided with a cell culture container having a cell culture region made of a hole formed on a substrate, a semi-permeable membrane covering a top plane of the cell culture region and a culture medium replacement part provided over the semi-permeable membrane, means for supplying a cell culture medium into the cell culture container, and microscopic optical means for enabling long-term observation of the cell within the cell culture region. The novel technical means makes it possible to culture a cell group originating from a particular single cell, to perform culture and observation, while identifying cells to be subjected to interaction during the process of culturing cells, to spray a substance which interacts with cells, for example, a drug such as a signal substance onto only a particular cell in a cell group which is being cultured so that cells are cultured at a constant cell density, and observe a difference in variation between the particular cell and other calls.