Abstract: An objective cell is irradiated with laser beam of a predetermined wavelength. Only Stokes light is selected out of detected light including reflected light and scattered light of the laser beam, and a Raman scattering spectrum is obtained by dispersion of the selected Stokes light. A transcriptome of the objective cells is estimated, based on the Raman scattering spectrum. It is preferable to estimate the transcriptome of the objective cells, based on N-dimensional Raman data obtained by dimensional reduction of the Raman scattering spectrum. This configuration only needs to irradiate the objective cell with the laser beam and does not require to destroy the objective cell. As a result, this enables the transcriptome of the cell to be estimated in a short time period without destroying the cell.

Abstract: An objective cell is irradiated with laser beam of a predetermined wavelength. Only Stokes light is selected out of detected light including reflected light and scattered light of the laser beam, and a Raman scattering spectrum is obtained by dispersion of the selected Stokes light. A transcriptome of the objective cells is estimated, based on the Raman scattering spectrum. It is preferable to estimate the transcriptome of the objective cells, based on N-dimensional Raman data obtained by dimensional reduction of the Raman scattering spectrum. This configuration only needs to irradiate the objective cell with the laser beam and does not require to destroy the objective cell. As a result, this enables the transcriptome of the cell to be estimated in a short time period without destroying the cell.

Abstract: Provided is a cell culture apparatus, an apparatus for long-term observation of cell culture, a method for long-term cell culture, and a method for long-term observation of cell culture, which are capable of continuously culturing and observing cells under uniform environmental conditions without aging of the cultured cells' physiological state, and also tracing the history of a cell. The cell culture apparatus comprises a cell culture substrate, a semipermeable membrane, and a culture solution supplier. The cell culture substrate has on a surface a narrow culture groove for holding and culturing cells and wide flow grooves for discarding the cells held and cultured in the culture groove. Both ends of the culture groove are connected to the flow grooves being larger in width and depth than the culture groove. The semipermeable membrane covers the culture groove and the flow grooves. Finally, the culture solution supplier continuously supplies culture solution.

Abstract: To provide a cell culture apparatus, an apparatus for long-term observation of cell culture, a method for long-term cell culture, and a method for long-term observation of cell culture, which are capable of continuously culturing and observing cells under a uniform environmental condition without variation in physiological state associated with aging of the cultured cells, and also tracing the history (genealogy) of a certain cell.

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.