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Bring the relevance of 3D cell culture to the benchtop. With an increasing demand for cells that more closely mimic in vivo characteristics, the bench scientists to large-scale biomanufacturers have embraced 3D biology as the latest paradigm. In parallel, they are turning to solutions that allow hands-free growth, maintenance, and monitoring of cells for just-in-time delivery of cells into downstream research protocols. The BioLevitator™ is a convenient bench top 3D cell culture solution that aims to streamline the cell culture process. It enables the culture of cells on the Global Eukaryotic Microcarrier™ (GEM™) technology from Global Cell Solutions and provides all functions of a cell culture incubator, including controlled temperature and CO2 levels. Engineered to magnetically maneuver the GEM™, the BioLevitator™ facilitates nutrient and gas exchange. In addition, its intuitive and easy to use interface enables simple control of the complete cell culture process

BioLevitator™ Capabilities The BioLevitator is a versatile instrument that can be used for many downstream applications such as difficult cell lines, cell based assays, cryopreservation, cells as reagents, and scalability.

Difficult Cell Lines The GEMs can be coated with basement membrane or laminin proteins to allow for attachment of primary or stem cells. In addition to the different coatings, the GEM is porous which allows for 360° access to nutrients and ions. When the GEMs are placed in the BioLevitator™ they are suspended and gently agitated to maintain a homogenous media mixture. Human adipose stem cell, human umbilical vein, and mouse smooth muscle cells are just a few examples of cell types that have been successfully cultured using the BioLevitator™. Cell Based Assays The GEM™ is non-autofluorescent and optically clear and cell based assays can be done with the cells attached to the GEM™. Since the cells remain on the GEM harsh dissociation chemicals are not required, which potentially leads to healthier, more metabolically active cells. Listed below are examples of the some assays that can be performed while the cells attached to the GEM™. Patch clamp analysis Viability assays Metabolic activity assays Fluorescence microscopy Confocal microscopy   Cryopreservation on GEM™   Like the cell based assays, cryopreservation can take place while the cells are attached to the GEM™. In this application standard cryopreservation protocols can be used. Cells remain attached to the GEM™ during cryopreservation. Allowing the cells to remain attached to the GEM™ eliminates the need for harsh dissociation solutions, consequently the cells are healthier and happier before being frozen. When ready to use, simply thaw the GEMs with cells and continue your application. Cells as Reagents If you require large amounts of cells for experiments and have limited time to culture the cells, you can use the cells as reagents. In this application you will grow confluent GEMs to the required cell density. These cells will be frozen using the cryopreservation method listed above. When ready for your experiment simply thaw the GEMs and use. This method will save time, money, and effort. Scalability The BioLevitator can house up to four cell culture tubes at a time. Each cell culture tube is roughly equivalent to 10 T75 flasks. If larger cell numbers are required, the technology of the BioLevitator is directly scalable to the Hamilton 3D CellHOST. The 3D CellHOST is an automated 3D cell culture system that has up to four BioLevitators integrated in the unit.