Culturing device and method

Abstract

The present invention is concerned with an in vitro culturing device and methods for culturing microorganisms derived from a mammalian gut, and in particular microorganisms derived from the gut of ruminant and pseudo-ruminant animals. The culturing devices according to the present invention comprise a vessel for containing a culture, at least one conduit fluidically connected to said vessel providing a path for the culture, a pressure adjustment means, at last one sensor configured to detect at least one physical or chemical property of the culture, a volatile fatty acid adsorption means disposed inside said conduit, and a control module, wherein the control module is configured to move the culture and thereby cause at least a portion of said culture to move between said vessel and said conduit and change at least one parameter of said culture. Accordingly, the culturing devices according to the present invention have been designed to accurately reflect some important aspects of gut organ function by mimicking natural processes of gut organ physiology such as the mixing and pressure dynamics of fluids and solids within a gut organ, as well as a pressure adjustment means that can sense pressure variations and permit the escape of fermentation gases aligned with natural foregut eructation or hindgut flatulence observed in (e.g.) ruminant animals.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.