JP6818080B2 - Culture device, culture unit, and method for collecting culture objects - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a culture apparatus, a culture unit, and a method for collecting a culture target.

As a measure against global warming, there is a strong demand from the industries of each country to take measures to reduce the emission of warming gas as much as possible. Microalgae such as chlorella and microorganisms such as photosynthetic bacteria are highly promising as resources capable of producing energy without emitting CO ₂ and other industrially usable resources, and are useful and efficient at the commercial level. There are high expectations for such production.

In order to use microalgae such as chlorella for energy resources and other industrial uses, it is required to produce them at the lowest possible cost. However, when culturing microalgae in large quantities in water, a large pool or tank is required. I need. Therefore, there are problems such as cost increase due to land acquisition or large-scale equipment.

In order to solve this problem, in order to improve the production amount per unit area, the culture solution is allowed to flow down on a carrier arranged in the vertical direction, microalgae are grown on the carrier, and the microalgae are grown from the flowed culture solution. A culture system for recovery has been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the methods of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a thin water film on the surface of the carrier corresponds to the pool water surface of the conventional method, and light (artificial light), carbon dioxide gas, and nutrients are obtained to perform photosynthesis smoothly.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-175964 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-153744

By the way, when a culture target such as a microorganism is continuously cultured, the carrier to which the culture target is attached may be exchanged.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a culture apparatus or the like with improved work efficiency for exchanging carriers.
In addition, when continuously culturing a culture target such as a microorganism, it is necessary to maintain the temperature near the carrier at a temperature suitable for culturing.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a culturing apparatus or the like capable of maintaining the temperature near the carrier at a temperature suitable for culturing.

For this purpose, the techniques disclosed herein include a carrier part for culturing a culture target, a holding part for holding the carrier part, and a recovery part for collecting the culture target cultivated in the carrier part. The carrier portion includes a carrier to which a culture target is attached, a support that supports the carrier, and a held portion that is provided on the support and is held by the holding portion. The carrier has a first facing portion and a second facing portion provided so as to face each other, and a continuous portion that is continuous between the first facing portion and the second facing portion, and the first facing portion. And the second facing portion forms a space between the surfaces facing each other, gas is allowed to flow in the space, and the support is a culture that supplies a culture solution to the continuous portion of the carrier. It is a culture device having a liquid supply unit.

From another point of view, the techniques disclosed herein are supported by a carrier to which the object to be cultured is attached, a support that supports the carrier, and a holding mechanism provided on the support and a culture apparatus. The carrier includes a held portion, and the carrier has a first facing portion and a second facing portion provided so as to face each other, and a continuous portion that is continuous between the first facing portion and the second facing portion. A space is formed between the surfaces of the first facing portion and the second facing portion facing each other, and gas is allowed to flow in the space, and the support is provided on the continuous portion of the carrier. It is a culture unit having a culture solution supply unit for supplying the culture solution.

From another point of view, the techniques disclosed herein are supported by a carrier to which the object to be cultured is attached, a support that supports the carrier, and a holding mechanism provided on the support and a culture apparatus. A carrier portion having a held portion, and the carrier is a continuous portion that is continuous between a first facing portion and a second facing portion provided so as to face each other and the first facing portion and the second facing portion. A space is formed between the surfaces of the first facing portion and the second facing portion facing each other, and gas is allowed to flow in the space, and the support is the carrier. A step of holding a carrier part having a culture solution supply part for supplying a culture solution to the continuous part of the above by the holding mechanism of the culture apparatus, a step of culturing the culture target with the carrier, and a step of culturing the culture target from the carrier. It is a method of collecting a culture target including a step of collecting.

According to the technique disclosed in the present specification, it is possible to provide a culture apparatus or the like with improved work efficiency for exchanging carriers. Further, according to the technique disclosed in the present specification, it is possible to provide a culture apparatus or the like capable of maintaining the temperature near the carrier at a temperature suitable for culturing.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the culture system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic front view of the culture system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a partially enlarged view of the carrier unit. It is sectional drawing in IV-IV of FIG. (A) is a front view of the carrier and the cover, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of Vb-Vb of FIG. 5 (a). (A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a carrier, and (b) is an explanatory view of a protrusion. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the roller unit. (A) is a schematic configuration diagram showing the operation of the roller unit, and (b) is an enlarged view in VIIIb of FIG. 8 (a). It is a flowchart which shows the operation of a culture system. It is a flowchart which shows the recovery operation of a culture system. (A) to (d) are diagrams for explaining a modification of the present embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the microbial culture system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Culture system 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a culture system 1 according to the present embodiment.
First, with reference to FIG. 1, a schematic configuration of the culture system 1 to which the present embodiment is applied will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, a culture system 1 which is an example of a culture apparatus supplies a carrier unit 10 for adhering and growing microorganisms, a roller unit 30 for pressing the carrier unit 10, and a culture solution to the carrier unit 10. A culture solution supply unit 50 that recovers the culture solution together with microorganisms from the carrier unit 10, a gas supply unit 60 that supplies gas to the carrier unit 10, an irradiation unit 70 that irradiates the carrier unit 10, and a frame that supports the carrier unit 10. It has 80 and a control unit 90 that controls each component.

In the following description, the vertical direction of the culture system 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be simply referred to as the vertical direction. Further, the width direction of the culture system 1 may be simply referred to as the width direction. Further, the direction intersecting the vertical direction and the width direction in the culture system 1 may be simply referred to as the depth direction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the culture system 1 according to the present embodiment.
Next, the detailed configuration of the culture system 1 to which the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the carrier unit 10, which is an example of the carrier unit and the culture unit, includes a carrier 12 to which microorganisms are attached, a cover 15 that covers the outer periphery of the carrier 12, and a support 17 that supports the carrier 12 and the cover 15. And have. In the present embodiment, the microorganisms are cultivated in the carrier unit 10 having a flat plate shape. Details of the carrier unit 10 will be described later.

The roller unit 30 has an elevating unit 31 that elevates and descends along the carrier unit 10, and a driving unit 32 that drives the elevating unit 31. The roller unit 30 separates the microorganisms cultured in the carrier unit 10 from the carrier 12 and collects them together with the culture solution as the elevating unit 31 is moved by the driving unit 32. Details of the roller unit 30 will be described later.

The culture solution supply unit 50, which is an example of the collection unit and the storage unit, stores the culture solution in the first pipe 51 for supplying the culture solution to the carrier unit 10, the second pipe 53 for collecting the culture solution from the carrier unit 10. It has a tank 55 to circulate, a third pipe 57 for circulating the culture solution in which microorganisms are separated from the culture solution stored in the tank 55, and a pump 59 as a driving source for circulating the culture solution. The culture solution supply unit 50 supplies the culture solution to the carrier unit 10 by the pump 59, and collects the microorganisms cultured in the carrier unit 10 together with the culture solution. Then, the culture solution supply unit 50 recovers the microorganisms by separating from the culture solution in the tank 55. Specifically, in the tank 55, the culture solution containing microorganisms is separated into a precipitate containing a high concentration of microorganisms and a supernatant containing almost no microorganisms. In the illustrated culture solution supply unit 50, the supply amount of the culture solution per unit time can be adjusted by controlling the pump 59.
The gas supply unit 60 includes a gas cylinder 61 that compresses and stores carbon dioxide gas, and a gas pipe 63 that supplies carbon dioxide gas supplied from the gas cylinder 61 to the carrier unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the irradiation unit 70 has a first irradiation panel 71 and a second irradiation panel 73 that irradiate the carrier unit 10 with light from both sides in the depth direction with the carrier unit 10 interposed therebetween. In the illustrated example, the first irradiation panel 71 and the second irradiation panel 73 have a substantially plate-like shape that is arranged to face the carrier unit 10. The first irradiation panel 71 and the second irradiation panel 73, for example, have a fluorescent lamp, an organic EL, an LED, or the like arranged as a light source, and are configured to irradiate light having a wavelength and a light amount suitable for the growth of microorganisms. There is. The wavelength of the light emitted by the first irradiation panel 71 and the second irradiation panel 73 is, for example, in the range of 380 to 780 nm. Further, it is preferable that the first irradiation panel 71 and the second irradiation panel 73 can irradiate only red light, for example, with respect to microorganisms capable of growing only with red light.

As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 80, which is an example of the holding portion, is a frame member that supports the carrier unit 10 and the like. The frame 80 in the illustrated example has a mounting portion 80A on which the carrier unit 10 is mounted on the upper side of the frame 80. By mounting the carrier unit 10 on the mounting portion 80A, the carrier unit 10 is supported by the frame 80. In the illustrated example, the carrier unit 10 is suspended from the frame 80.
The control unit 90 is configured by a computer or the like and controls the constituent members of the culture system 1. For example, the control unit 90 controls the operation timing of the roller unit 30 and the culture solution supply unit 50.

The microorganism to be cultured is, for example, photosynthetic microalgae. When culturing a microorganism that can grow without photosynthesis, the culture system 1 does not have to include the irradiation unit 70.
The culture solution is not particularly limited as long as it is a diluted solution of a medium capable of culturing microalgae by a usual method to increase the concentration of microorganisms. As the medium, for example, a general inorganic medium such as CHU medium, JM medium, or MDM medium can be used. Further, as the medium, diluted solutions of various media such as Gambog B5 medium, BG11 medium, and HSM medium are preferable. The mineral medium, Ca _{(NO 3)} as the nitrogen source 2 · 4H ₂ O and _KNO 3, _NH 4 Cl is, _KH 3 as other key nutrients PO ₄ and _{MgSO 4 · 7H 2 O, FeSO} 4 · 7H ₂ O and the like are included. In addition, antibiotics and the like that do not affect the growth of microalgae may be added to the medium. The pH of the medium is preferably 4-10. In addition, wastewater discharged from various industries may be used.

<Carrier unit 10>
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the carrier unit 10.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG.
5 (a) is a front view of the carrier 12 and the cover 15, and FIG. 5 (b) is a sectional view taken along line Vb-Vb of FIG. 5 (a).
Next, the detailed configuration of the carrier unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.
As described above, the carrier unit 10 has a carrier 12, a cover 15, and a support 17. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described.

First, the carrier 12 will be described.
The carrier 12 is a plate-shaped member for culturing microorganisms. The carrier 12 can carry microorganisms and allows the supplied culture solution to permeate and flow down. The carrier 12 shown is a cloth member, and more specifically, it is made of a pile fabric of untwisted yarn. The material of the carrier 12 is not particularly limited, and a pile fabric of twisted yarn, cotton, silk, hair, acrylic, polyester or the like may be used.

In the illustrated example, the carrier 12 is a substantially rectangular front view. Further, the carrier 12 is bent in two at substantially the center of the opposite sides (see FIG. 5B). The size of the carrier 12 is not particularly limited, but is formed as large as possible so that microorganisms can be efficiently cultured on one carrier 12. For example, the carrier 12 is abbreviated in the longitudinal direction so that the vertical dimension is about 1.25 m using a towel cloth having a length of 2.5 m in the longitudinal direction and a length of 1 m in the width direction when unfolded. Folded in the center.

As shown in FIG. 4, the carrier 12 has a shape having a first portion 121 and a second portion 123 with a bent portion 125 (an example of a curved portion) which is a bent and curved portion interposed therebetween. The first part 121 and the second part 123 are each provided upright in the vertical direction in a state where the bent portion 125 is hung on the support 17.

Next, the cover 15 which is an example of the housing and the covering portion will be described.
The cover 15 is formed by bending the center of the flexible sheet member in the longitudinal direction. The cover 15 is made of a material that transmits light emitted from the irradiation unit 70. The cover 15 is made of a synthetic resin such as vinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene or PET.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 15 has a first portion 151 and a second portion 153 located so as to sandwich the bent portion 155. The first portion 151 and the second portion 153 are provided upright in the vertical direction, respectively, in a state where the bent portion 155 is hung on the support 17.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5A, the cover 15 has a lower end portion 156 which is a lower end portion in the vertical direction of the cover 15 hung on the support 17, and both ends of a bent portion 155 extending in the width direction. It has two side edge portions 157 extending substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The lower end portion 156 is formed so that the central portion in the width direction projects downward in the vertical direction. In other words, the lower end portion 156 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the both side edge portions 157 toward the center between the both side edge portions 157.

The illustrated cover 15 is formed in a flat bag shape capable of accommodating the carrier 12 inside. To be further explained, the cover 15 is formed so that the inside can be sealed except for a part. In the illustrated example, the lower end portion 156 is closed by fusion, and the side edge portion 157 is closed by a fixing portion 158 composed of a hook-and-loop fastener.

Further, the illustrated cover 15 has a first opening 159A that opens upward on both ends in the width direction of the bent portion 155 and through which the mounted body 175 (described later) penetrates. Further, the cover 15 has a second opening 159B that opens upward and penetrates the culture solution supply pipe 171E (described later) on one side of the bent portion 155 in the width direction. Further, the cover 15 has an outlet 159C for leading out the culture solution at the tip of a portion of the lower end portion 156 that protrudes downward. A second pipe 53 for leading out the culture solution can be attached to and detached from the outlet 159C.

Next, the support 17 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the support 17 includes a cover support 171 that supports the cover 15, a carrier support 173 that supports the carrier 12, and a mounted body 175 that protrudes from the cover 15 and is mounted on the carrier unit 10. It has an extension plate 176 that extends the length in the width direction. The support 17 is formed of a material such as aluminum that does not interfere with the culture of microorganisms.

First, the cover support 171 which is an example of the housing support part, the supply part, and the culture solution supply part will be described.
The cover support 171 includes a support rod 171A which is a columnar member extending in the width direction, an outer peripheral body 171B provided on the outer periphery of the support rod 171A, a culture solution supply hole 171C to which the culture solution is supplied, and a culture solution to be discharged. It has a culture solution discharge hole 171D to be formed, a culture solution supply tube 171E connected to the culture solution supply hole 171C, and support rod end portions 171F provided at both ends of the support rod 171A.

Here, the outer peripheral body 171B is provided coaxially with the support rod 171A, and both ends are sealed. This allows the culture solution to pass between the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral body 171B and the outer peripheral surface of the support rod 171A. Further, the outer peripheral body 171B has a culture solution supply hole 171C on one side in the width direction (right side in FIG. 3) and facing upward. A culture solution supply pipe 171E is provided in the culture solution supply hole 171C. Then, the culture solution is guided into the outer peripheral body 171B via the culture solution supply pipe 171E and the culture solution supply hole 171C. Further, the outer peripheral body 171B has a plurality of culture solution discharge holes 171D on the surface facing downward. In the illustrated example, a plurality of culture solution discharge holes 171D are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the width direction. In addition, two rows are provided, which are composed of a plurality of culture solution discharge holes 171D arranged in the width direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, two culture solution discharge holes 171D are provided side by side in the depth direction. The culture solution in the outer peripheral body 171B is discharged to the outside through the culture solution discharge hole 171D.

Next, the carrier support 173, which is an example of the carrier support and the gas supply, will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the carrier support 173 includes a support column 173A which is a prismatic member extending in the width direction along the support rod 171A, an outer peripheral body 173B provided on the outer periphery of the support column 173A, and carbon dioxide gas inside. A gas pipe 173C passing through the above, a gas supply hole 173D to which carbon dioxide gas is supplied, a gas discharge hole 173E to discharge carbon dioxide gas, a suture hole 173F to which the carrier 12 is sewn on the outer peripheral body 173B, and a support column 173A. It has support column end portions 173G provided at both ends of the.

As shown in FIG. 4, the outer peripheral body 173B is a hollow member having a substantially rectangular cross section. A support column 173A and a gas pipe 173C are provided inside the outer peripheral body 173B. The outer peripheral body 171B has a plurality of gas discharge holes 173E on the surface facing downward. In the illustrated example, a plurality of gas discharge holes 173E are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the gas pipe 173C is arranged at a position facing a plurality of gas discharge holes 173E inside the outer peripheral body 173B. Further, the gas pipe 173C has a gas pipe supply hole 173H at a position corresponding to each of the gas discharge holes 173E. Further, one end of the gas pipe 173C is sealed, and the other end is opened to form a gas supply hole 173D. A gas pipe 63 is connected to the gas supply hole 173D. The carbon dioxide gas supplied from the gas pipe 63 is guided to the inside of the gas pipe 173C through the gas supply hole 173D. Further, the carbon dioxide gas in the gas pipe 173C is discharged through the gas pipe supply hole 173H and the gas discharge hole 173E.

Next, the attached body 175, which is an example of the held portion, will be described.
The mounted body 175 is a plate-shaped member. The mounted body 175 is provided on both sides of the support rod 171A in the width direction. The support rod end 171F of the cover support 171, the support column end 173G of the carrier support 173, and the extension plate 176 are fixed to the mounted body 175. As a result, each position such as the relative position of the cover support 171 and the carrier support 173 is fixed via the mounted body 175. Further, when the carrier 12 is arranged on the carrier support 173 and the cover 15 covering the carrier 12 is further arranged on the cover support 171, the entire carrier unit 10 becomes a structure that can be handled by itself. Further, the carrier unit 10 is mounted on the frame 80 by connecting the mounted body 175 to the mounting portion 80A of the frame 80. The connection of the mounted body 175 to the mounting portion 80A is not particularly limited as well-known connection technology can be applied. For example, the attachment body 175 may be connected to the attachment portion 80A by using a hook or the like to hang it on the attachment portion 80A, or by using a bolt, a clip, a snap button, a so-called latch mechanism, or the like to the attachment portion 80A. May be fixed.

Next, the extension plate 176 will be described.
The extension plate 176 is a plate-shaped member. The extension plate 176 is provided on the mounted body 175 and is fixed so as to project in the direction opposite to the cover support 171 with the mounted body 175 interposed therebetween. The extension plate 176 supports the widthwise end of the cover 15. That is, the extension plate 176 supports the cover 15 together with the cover support 171.

Here, for example, when it is desired to replace the carrier 12 for which the period for culturing the microorganism has been extended, the carrier unit 10 can be removed from the frame 80 and a new carrier unit 10 can be attached. When removing the carrier unit 10, the mounted body 175, which is a portion protruding from the cover 15, may be removed from the mounting portion 80A. Therefore, in order to take out the carrier 12, the cover 15 whose inside is wet with the culture solution is used. It is possible to prevent the culture solution from being opened and soiling the hands or dropping the culture solution onto the cover 15. In addition, when the carrier 12 is taken out from the carrier unit 10, an opening is formed in the cover 15 by opening the hook-and-loop fastener constituting the fixing portion 158, and the carrier 12 can be taken out.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the arrangement of each component member in a state where the carrier 12 is arranged on the carrier support 173 and the cover is arranged on the cover support 171 will be described. That is, a state in which the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12 is hung on the outer peripheral body 173B of the carrier support 173 and the bent portion 155 of the cover 15 is hung on the outer peripheral body 171B of the cover support 171 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first part 121 and the second part 123 of the carrier 12 are arranged along each other. Further explaining, the first part inner surface 121A (an example of the first surface) of the first part 121 and the first part inner surface 123A (an example of the second surface) of the second part 123 of the carrier 12 face each other. , Distance Ga away.
Further, the first part 151 and the second part 153 of the cover 15 are arranged along each other. To be further described, the first part inner surface 151A of the first part 151 of the cover 15 and the first part outer surface 121B of the first part 121 of the carrier 12 face each other and are separated by a distance Gb. Similarly, the second inner surface 153A of the second part 153 on the cover 15 and the first outer surface 123B of the second part 123 on the carrier 12 face each other and are separated by a distance Gb. In the illustrated example, the carrier 12 is arranged in the cover 15 so that the distance Gb is 0 cm or more and 10 cm or less.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the culture solution discharge hole 171D of the cover support 171 is provided at a position facing the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12 hung on the carrier support 173. Further explaining, the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12 is located on the lower side in the vertical direction of the culture solution discharge hole 171D of the cover support 171. In the illustrated example, the culture solution discharge hole 171D of the cover support 171 and the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12 are separated by a distance of Gc. Then, the culture solution discharge hole 171D of the cover support 171 discharges the culture solution toward the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12 (see arrow D1 in the figure). Since the culture solution discharge hole 171D of the cover support 171 is separated from the carrier 12, foreign substances such as microorganisms may be clogged in the culture solution discharge hole 171D of the cover support 171 and the discharge of the culture solution may be hindered. Avoided.

Further, the gas discharge hole 173E of the carrier support 173 is provided at a position facing the space sandwiched between the first portion 121 and the second portion 123 of the carrier 12. Further explaining, the gas discharge hole 173E of the carrier support 173 is directed from the upper side to the lower side in the space sandwiched by the first part inner surface 121A of the first part 121 and the second part inner surface 123A of the second part 123. (See arrow D2 in the figure). In other words, the gas discharge hole 173E of the carrier support 173 blows mixed air containing carbon dioxide gas into the inside of the carrier 12 folded in two from below the carrier support 173. In the illustrated example, the carbon dioxide gas discharged into the cover 15 may be suppressed from flowing out to the outside of the cover 15, or may be allowed to flow out to the outside. For example, the carbon dioxide gas in the cover 15 may flow to the outside of the cover 15 through the first opening 159A, the outlet 159C, or the like. Further, the cover 15 may be provided with a discharge hole for discharging carbon dioxide gas in the cover 15, and a discharge pipe may be connected to the discharge hole.

Here, the first part inner surface 121A of the first part 121 and the second part inner surface 123A of the second part 123 of the carrier 12 are separated by a distance Ga, and carbon dioxide is carbon dioxide from the gas discharge hole 173E of the carrier support 173 toward the gap. Gas is discharged. As a result, a gas supply path is formed between the first part 121 and the second part 123.

By discharging carbon dioxide gas from the gas discharge hole 173E of the carrier support 173, a force for expanding the space between the first part 121 and the second part 123 of the carrier 12 is given. Although the details will be described later, when the carrier 12 is sandwiched by the roller unit 30, a part of the first part inner surface 121A of the first part 121 and the second part inner surface 123A of the second part 123 may be in contact with each other. is there. In this state, when carbon dioxide gas is discharged from the gas discharge hole 173E, a force is applied to the carrier 12 in a direction for separating the first part inner surface 121A of the first part 121 and the second part inner surface 123A of the second part 123. To.

Further, the inner surface 151A of the first part of the cover 15 and the outer surface 121B of the first part of the carrier 12 are separated by a distance Gb, and carbon dioxide gas flows through the gap to supply carbon dioxide gas to the outer surface 121B of the first part of the carrier 12. It becomes easy to be done. That is, by arranging the carrier 12 housed inside the cover 15 without contacting the cover 15, carbon dioxide gas can be guided to the outer periphery of the carrier 12.

When there is no gap due to the formation of a gap between the inner surface 151A of the first part of the cover 15 and the outer surface 121B of the first part of the carrier 12, that is, the first inner surface 151A of the first part of the cover 15 and the first of the carrier 12. Compared with the case where the outer surface 121B is in contact, carbon dioxide gas easily passes in the thickness direction of the carrier 12. As a result, carbon dioxide gas is easily supplied to the entire carrier 12.

Further, by providing the culture solution discharge hole 171D of the cover support 171 at a position facing the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12 hung on the carrier support 173, the culture solution supplied from the culture solution discharge hole 171D can be obtained. It is supplied to the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12. The culture solution supplied to the bent portion 125 can permeate both the first portion 121 and the second portion 123. That is, the culture solution supplied to the bent portion 125, which is one region, branches and permeates into the first portion 121 and the second portion 123, which are two regions.

<Carrier 12>
FIG. 6A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the carrier 12, and FIG. 6B is an explanatory view of the protrusion 127.
Next, the configuration of the carrier 12 will be further described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b).

The carrier 12 shown in FIG. 6A includes a substrate 126, which is a flat plate-like portion formed of fibers, and a fibrous member protruding from the surface of the substrate 126, that is, a large number of protrusions 127 formed by raised portions. Has. The illustrated protrusion 127 has an annular portion (loop portion). As shown in FIG. 6B, the protrusion 127 has a root 127A fixed to the base 126 and a tip 127B which is the most distant portion of the protrusion 127 from the base 126. For example, the protrusion 127 has a fiber diameter of 1 mm, and the amount of protrusion from the substrate 126 (see the length in the depth direction and the distance L1) is about 20 mm. The amount of water retained per unit area of the carrier 12 is 0.2 g / cm ² or more.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the tip 127B can move with respect to the root 127A as the protrusion 127 elastically deforms. Further explaining, the tip 127B can swing around the root 127A (see arrow D3). In other words, the tip 127B can move in the direction along the base 126 (vertical direction in the figure) and in the direction of advancing and retreating with respect to the base 126 (depth direction in the figure).

Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the carrier 12 is suspended, that is, when the base 126 is arranged along the vertical direction, the tip 127B of the protrusion 127 is lower than the root 127A. It can be located on the side (see distance L2). So to speak, the coat of the carrier 12 is oriented from the upper side to the lower side. As described above, when the culture solution is supplied to the carrier 12 with the tip 127B arranged below the root 127A, the culture solution flows from the root 127A side toward the tip 127B side (see arrow D4). In this way, when the culture solution flows toward the tip 127B side, the culture solution and the microorganisms are suppressed from staying on the root 127A side. As a result, spoilage of the culture solution and microorganisms, which may occur due to the retention of the culture solution and microorganisms, is suppressed.

By the way, in the carrier 12 of the present embodiment, the surface area of the carrier 12 is increased by providing the protrusion 127 on the substrate 126. More specifically, the area of the region in contact with the gas phase in the culture solution existing inside the carrier 12 or on the surface of the carrier 12 becomes large. In addition, the light receiving area of the carrier 12 becomes large. These can promote the growth of microorganisms on the carrier 12.

Here, as a configuration for increasing the surface area of the carrier 12, an example of a configuration different from the present embodiment will be described. As in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the protrusion 127, that is, the protrusion is provided on the carrier 12, and the recess is provided, for example, like a porous sponge.

The shape of the protrusion 127 is not particularly limited as long as the tip 127B can move with respect to the root 127A and the base 126. For example, the protrusion 127 does not have to be formed in an annular shape unlike the illustrated example. In other words, the member may be a substantially cylindrical, substantially conical, or substantially prismatic member having one end supported by the substrate 126 and the other end swingable. In addition, the carrier 12 may be formed by shirring ground.

<Roller unit 30>
FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the roller unit 30.
Next, the detailed configuration of the roller unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 7.
First, as described above, the roller unit 30 has an elevating unit 31 that elevates and descends along the carrier unit 10 and a driving unit 32 that drives the elevating unit 31. Hereinafter, the elevating unit 31 and the driving unit 32 will be described.

First, the elevating part 31 which is an example of the pressing part will be described.
The elevating portion 31 includes a roller pair 33 that sandwiches the carrier unit 10, a support bar 35 that holds the posture of the roller pair 33, a first drive mechanism 37 that changes the distance between the axes of the roller pair 33, and their constituent members. It has a base plate 39 to be attached.

The roller pair 33 has a first roller 331 and a second roller 333 that sandwich the carrier unit 10 from both sides. The first roller 331 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 331A, the outer peripheral portion 331B rotatably attached to the shaft portion 331A, and the outer peripheral portion 331B, and is pressed against the outer surface 151B (see FIG. 4) of the carrier unit 10. It has a resin sheet 331C to be used. Similarly, the second roller 333 is attached to the shaft portion 333A, the outer peripheral portion 333B rotatably attached to the shaft portion 333A, and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral portion 333B, and is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the carrier unit 10 (see FIG. 4). ) Is pressed against the resin sheet 333C. The illustrated first roller 331 and second roller 333 are so-called driven rolls that are not connected to a drive source that rotates each of them.

The support bar 35 is a substantially columnar member, and is provided with each of the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 sandwiched in the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the support bars 35 are provided at the four corners of the base plate 39 so as to surround the first roller 331 and the second roller 333. The support bar 35 prevents the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 from bending.

The first drive mechanism 37 is provided at both ends of the shaft portion 331A of the first roller 331 and the shaft portion 333A of the second roller 333. The first drive mechanism 37 changes the shaft portion 331A of the first roller 331 and the shaft portion 333A of the second roller 333 between the reference position and the expansion position wider than the reference position (arrows in the figure). See D5). The first drive mechanism 37 can be configured by a well-known drive device such as a solenoid or an air cylinder.

In the following description, the state in which the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are in the reference position may be referred to as a closed state of the roller pair 33. The roller pair 33 in the closed state sandwiches and presses the carrier unit 10. Further, a state in which the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are in the expanded position may be referred to as an open state of the roller pair 33. The roller pair 33 in this open state is separated from the carrier unit 10. The reference position is an example of an approaching position, and the expansion position is an example of a separation position.

Although not shown, both ends of the shaft portion 331A of the first roller 331 and the shaft portion 333A of the second roller 333 are urged by using elastic members such as springs so that the roller pair 33 is closed. Has been done. Then, the first drive mechanism 37 applies a force opposed to this urging force to the shaft portion 331A of the first roller 331 and the shaft portion 333A of the second roller 333 to open the roller pair 33.

The base plate 39 is provided at both ends of the shaft portion 331A of the first roller 331 and the shaft portion 333A of the second roller 333. The illustrated base plate 39 is a plate-shaped member, and is made of, for example, stainless steel.

Next, the drive unit 32, which is an example of the moving mechanism, will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the drive unit 32 is connected to a guide member 371 that guides the elevating part 31 in the vertical direction, a wire 373 whose one end is connected to the elevating part 31, and an elevating part that is connected to the other end of the wire 373. It has a second drive mechanism 375 that supplies a driving force for moving the portion 31 in the vertical direction. The second drive mechanism 375 and the first drive mechanism 37 are examples of moving units.

The guide member 371 is a prismatic member provided along the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the shaft portion 331A of the first roller 331 and the shaft portion 333A of the second roller 333 are provided at both ends of each. The guide member 371 is a guide member for the elevating portion 31, and slidably supports the base plate 39 of the elevating portion 31.
The wire 373 is a metal linear member. In the illustrated example, the wire 373 suspends and supports the elevating portion 31.

The second drive mechanism 375 includes a winding unit 375A for winding the wire 373 and a motor 375B for driving the winding unit 375A. The winding unit 375A, which receives the driving force of the motor 375B, winds the wire 373, so that the elevating unit 31 moves in the vertical direction (see arrow D6 in the figure).

FIG. 8A is a schematic configuration diagram showing the operation of the roller unit 30, and FIG. 8B is an enlarged view in VIIIb of FIG. 8A. In the states shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, it is assumed that the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are arranged at the closed positions.
Next, the operation of the roller unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 8.

The roller unit 30 in the present embodiment extracts the microorganisms together with the culture solution by squeezing the culture solution contained in the carrier 12 of the carrier unit 10. As a method of squeezing the culture solution contained in the carrier 12, for example, the carrier unit 10 can be removed from the frame 80, and the carrier 12 can be taken out from the removed cover 15 to squeeze the carrier 12. However, as in the present embodiment, the carrier unit 10 is still attached to the frame 80, and the carrier 12 is squeezed together with the cover 15 by using the roller unit 30. By attaching the carrier unit 10 to the frame 80, it is possible to quickly perform the work of re-culturing the microorganisms using the carrier 12 after squeezing.

Here, in the present embodiment, the roller unit 30 is used to compress the carrier unit 10 in the depth direction, that is, in the thickness direction of the carrier unit 10. Hereinafter, the operation of the roller unit 30 compressing the carrier unit 10 will be specifically described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are provided facing each other with the carrier unit 10 mounted on the frame 80 interposed therebetween. At this time, it is assumed that the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are arranged in the open position and are separated from the carrier unit 10. Further, the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 face a lower region of the carrier unit 10 in the vertical direction, for example, a region lower than the carrier 12 (see FIG. 1).

Then, as shown in FIG. 8A, the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are arranged in the closed position by driving the first drive mechanism 37. That is, the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are arranged at the reference positions. The gap between the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 arranged at this reference position is smaller than the thickness of the carrier unit 10, and the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 sandwich and press the carrier unit 10.

Here, as described above, the carrier 12 is made of pile material, and the cover 15 is made of a flexible sheet member. Therefore, the carrier unit 10 is deformed as the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 press the carrier unit 10. Further, by pressing the first roller 331 and the second roller 333, a part of the first part inner surface 121A of the first part 121 and the second part inner surface 123A of the second part 123 are in contact with each other. Even after the pressing by the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 is released, the surface tension of the culture solution keeps a part of the inner surface 121A of the first part and the inner surface 123A of the second part in contact with each other. There is. In the illustrated example, the carbon dioxide gas is discharged from the gas discharge hole 173E of the carrier support 173, so that the space between the first part 121 and the second part 123 of the carrier 12 is expanded and the contact state is released. ..

Now, the second drive mechanism 375 (see FIG. 2) is driven in a state where the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 sandwich the carrier unit 10, and the wire 373 is wound up. As the wire 373 is wound up, the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 rise (see arrow D11). As the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 rise, the outer peripheral portion 331B of the first roller 331 and the outer peripheral portion 333B of the second roller 333 rotate (see arrow D13), so that the first roller 331 and the second roller 331 and the second roller 331 rotate. The roller 333 smoothly rises along the carrier unit 10.

Then, by pressing the carrier unit 10 while the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 rise, the carrier 12 is compressed together with the cover 15 in the thickness direction, and the culture solution contained in the carrier 12 is squeezed out. As shown in FIG. 2, the squeezed culture solution flows into the tank 55 through the second pipe 53 connected to the outlet 159C and the outlet 159C of the cover 15.

Here, the operations of the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 will be described while paying attention to the relationship between the carrier 12 and the protrusion 127. As shown in FIG. 8B, the first roller 331 (see FIG. 8A) and the second roller 333 ascend while compressing the carrier unit 10. That is, the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 move against the fur of the carrier 12. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, the protrusion 127 pressed from the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 via the cover 15 is deformed, and the tip 127B of the protrusion 127 swings. The movement of the tip 127B of the protrusion 127 makes it easier for the microorganisms adhering to the protrusion 127 to separate from the protrusion 127 together with the culture solution.

Further, by the operation of the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 ascending while compressing the carrier unit 10 (see arrow D11 in the figure), the inner surface 151A of the first part and the inner surface 153A of the second part and the base 126 of the carrier 12 are brought together. The culture solution can be stored in the space (see the circle R1 in the figure). This makes it possible to use the accumulated culture solution (see reference numeral Lq in the figure) to separate the microorganisms adhering to the protrusion 127 from the protrusion 127, so to speak, to rinse the protrusion 127. As an additional note, as the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 rotate, the upper surfaces of the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 move in a direction approaching the base 126 of the carrier 12 (arrows in the drawing). See D13). That is, the upper surfaces of the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 have a function of bringing the culture solution closer to the substrate 126 side. Therefore, more culture can be collected between Part 1 Inner Surface 151A and Part 2 Inner Surface 153A and Base 126 of Carrier 12.

Further, the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 press together with the cover 15 containing the carrier 12. Therefore, the carrier unit 10 can prevent the microorganisms and the culture solution from adhering to the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 and being scattered around. This can reduce the loss of the culture solution and increase the collection efficiency of microorganisms.

Here, when the microorganism is cultured in the carrier unit 10, water droplets may adhere to the inner side surface of the cover 15 (the inner surface 151A of the first part and the inner surface 153A of the second part), and the cover 15 may become cloudy. When the cover 15 becomes cloudy in this way, the light that is irradiated from the irradiation unit 70 and should reach the carrier 12 is obstructed by water droplets, and the amount of light received by the carrier 12 may be reduced. In the present embodiment, as the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 press the carrier 12 together with the cover 15 as described above, the first part inner surface 151A and the second part inner surface 153A of the cover 15 are the carrier 12. Is pressed against. Then, by pressing the first part inner surface 151A and the second part inner surface 153A against the carrier 12, the droplets on the first part inner surface 151A and the second part inner surface 153A are removed. This increases the amount of light that reaches the carrier 12. In other words, the amount of light reaching the carrier 12 can be secured even if the amount of light emitted by the irradiation unit 70 is reduced as compared with the configuration in which the droplets are not removed. Therefore, in the illustrated configuration, the power consumed by the irradiation unit 70 can be reduced. Further, the visibility of the carrier 12 via the cover 15 is improved by removing the droplets on the inner surface 151A of the first part and the inner surface 153A of the second part and removing the fogging.

<Operation of culture system 1>
FIG. 9-1 is a flowchart showing the operation of the culture system 1, and FIG. 9-2 is a flowchart showing the recovery operation of the culture system 1.
Next, the operation of the culture system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 9-1. In the following description, it is assumed that the carrier unit 10 is formed by arranging the carrier 12 inside the cover 15, and the carrier unit 10 is held by the frame 80.

First, the microorganism is attached to the carrier 12 with the fixing portion 158 open (step 901). Then, after closing the fixing portion 158, the microorganism is cultured on the carrier 12 while supplying the culture solution and carbon dioxide gas (step 902). Then, while driving the roller unit 30, the culture solution and microorganisms held on the carrier 12 are squeezed from the carrier 12 and recovered using the tank 55 (step 903).

Next, the recovery operation of the culture system 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 9-2.
When the culture system 1 starts the recovery operation, the roller pair 33 is arranged at a position facing the lower end portion 156 of the carrier unit 10 in the vertical direction, and is in an open state.

In the recovery operation of the culture system 1, that is, the method of recovering the culture target, the first drive mechanism 37 is first driven, and the roller pair 33 is closed (step 911). Further, the supply amount of the culture solution supplied from the culture solution supply unit 50 to the carrier unit 10 is reduced (step 912).

Next, the second drive mechanism 375 is driven, and the roller pair 33 rises (step 913). As the roller pair 33 rises, the microorganisms and the culture solution retained on the carrier 12 are squeezed from the carrier 12. Then, when the roller pair 33 rises to a position facing the carrier support 173 in the vertical direction, the roller pair 33 stops by stopping the second drive mechanism 375 (step 914).

Next, the control unit 90 determines whether the supply time, which is the time for supplying the predetermined amount of the culture solution to the carrier 12, has elapsed since the roller pair 33 was stopped (step 915). When the supply time elapses (YES in step 915), the second drive mechanism 375 is driven and the roller pair 33 is lowered by its own weight (step 916). As the roller pair 33 descends, the microorganisms and the culture solution retained on the carrier 12 are squeezed from the carrier 12. Then, when the roller pair 33 descends to a position facing the lower end portion 156 of the carrier unit 10 in the vertical direction, the second drive mechanism 375 stops, so that the roller pair 33 stops (step 917).

Next, the control unit 90 determines whether the roller pair 33 has risen twice (step 918). When the roller pair 33 is not raised twice (NO in step 918), the second drive mechanism 375 is driven and the roller pair 33 is raised (step 913). On the other hand, when the roller pair 33 rises twice (YES in step 918), the roller pair 33 is opened (step 919), and the recovery operation of the culture system 1 ends.

In the illustrated example, the amount of recovered microorganisms can be increased by raising the roller pair 33 multiple times.
Further, after the roller pair 33 was raised, the carrier 12 was allowed to hold a large amount of the culture solution by waiting for the passage of the supply time (step 915), and the culture solution held by the carrier 12 was used to adhere to the carrier 12. Microbes can be rinsed.

<Culture target>
As described above, the culture targets to be cultured by the culture system 1 are not only non-motile or poor photosynthetic microorganisms such as chlorella, cinecoquistis, and spirulina, but also planktonic euglena, chlamydomonas, and preurocrisis that move in water with flagella. Is also included. In other words, the microorganisms to be cultured in the culture system 1 are extremely diverse. Examples of the main microorganism groups to be cultured in the culture system 1 include the following classes A, B, and C.

First, as class A, prokaryotic eubacteria and archaea can be mentioned.
The eubacteria include non-oxygenated photosynthetic bacteria, cyanobacteria that perform oxygen-generating photosynthesis, facultative anaerobic and non-fermentative bacteria that utilize organic substances, and inorganic vegetative bacteria, actinomycetes, and corine bacteria. Umm, spore-forming bacteria can be mentioned. Photosynthetic bacteria include Rhodobacter, Rhodospirillum, Chlorobium, and Chloroflexi. Cyanobacteria include Synechococcus, Synechococcus, Spirulina, Arsulospira, Nostock, Anabaena, Osilatoria, Lyngbya, Nostoc commune, Suizenji nori. Examples of facultative anaerobic fermenting bacteria include Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria. Pseudomonas is an example of a non-fermentative bacterium. Examples of inorganic vegetative bacteria include hydrogen bacteria. Streptomyces is an actinomycete, and Bacillus subtilis is an spore-forming bacterium. Archaea include thermophiles and halophilic bacteria. Thermophiles include Thermococcus and Haloarchaea include Haloarchaea. Other examples include glutamic acid-producing bacteria, lysine-producing bacteria, and cellulose-producing bacteria.

Next, as class B, microalgae which are eukaryotic photosynthetic microorganisms can be mentioned.
Microalgae include green algae, treboxia algae, red algae, diatoms, haptophytes, true eye spot algae, euglena, and brown worm algae.
Green algae include Chlorella, Senedesmus, Chlamydomonas, Botryococcus, Hematococcus, Nannochloris, and Pseudocolycystis, and Treboxia algae include Parachlorella and Cocomixa. Red algae include Cyanidioschyzon, Cyanidium, Gardieria, and Porphyridium, and diatoms include Nitzschia, Pheodactylum, Chaetoceros, Tarashioshira, Skelettonema, and Fituriera. Haptophytes include preurocrisis, gefirocapsa, emiliania, isocrisis and pavlova. Nannochloropsis is mentioned as a true eye alga, and Euglena is mentioned as Euglena. Furthermore, symbiodinium is mentioned as a zooxanthellae which is a symbiotic alga of coral.

Next, as Class C, fungi that are non-photosynthetic eukaryotes can be mentioned.
Fungi include yeast and Aspergillus. In addition, hyphal culture of basidiomycetes is a culture target.

Although it is not a microorganism, among multicellular seaweeds, green algae such as sea lettuce and green laver, and red algae such as sea lettuce, green laver, neopyropia yezoensis, sardine, and other edible seaweeds are also targeted for cultivation. Furthermore, mosses, which are green plants, are also targeted for culture. In addition, lichens, which are symbiotic organisms, are also targeted for culture.
In addition, microalgae can be regarded as containing cyanobacteria.

<Modification example>
10 (a) to 10 (d) are diagrams for explaining a modification of the present embodiment.
Next, a modification of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 (a) to 10 (d). In the following description, the same parts as those described in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

First, in the above embodiment, it has been described that the carrier unit 10 includes the cover 15, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, the cover 15 may not be used. In this configuration, the first roller 331 (see FIG. 7) and the second roller 333 directly press the carrier 12. Although not shown, the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 directly press the carrier 12, and the cover 15 covers the outside of the first roller 331 and the second roller 333. There may be.

Although not shown, spacers may be provided on the inner surface 151A of the first part and the inner surface 153A of the second part of the cover 15 to form a space of 10 cm or less between the cover 15 and the carrier 12. The spacer may be a protrusion or rib attached to the inner surface 151A of the first part and the inner surface 153A of the second part of the cover 15, or integrally formed with the cover 15. This prevents the first part inner surface 151A and the second part inner surface 153A from coming into contact with the carrier 12.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cover 15 has been described as having flexibility, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as the stress from the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 can be transmitted to the carrier 12. The cover 15 may be formed of a plate member that is more difficult to deform than the sheet member, such as a resin plate that covers the carrier 12.

Further, in the above embodiment, it has been described that the carrier 12 is bent in two and the bent portion 125 is hung on the support 17, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, one carrier 1200 may be provided by suspending it in a flat plate shape. Further, although not shown, the carrier 12 may be formed in a shape other than a flat plate such as a cylinder or a square cylinder. Further, the number of carriers 12 is not limited to one, and two or more carriers may be provided. Further, in a configuration in which the carrier 12 is bent in two and the bent portion 125 is hung on the support 17, a part of the first portion 121 and the second portion 123 may be sewn together. For example, the three sides of the carrier 12 other than the bent portion 125 of the carrier 12 bent in two are closed by suturing, leaving a portion of the support 17 into which the carrier support 173 is inserted, so as to form a space inside the carrier 12. You may.

Further, the air permeability between the first part 121 and the second part 123 of the carrier 12, that is, between the first part inner surface 121A of the first part 121 and the second part inner surface 123A of the second part 123 of the carrier 12. A good core material may be arranged. As a result, contact between the inner surface 121A of the first part and the inner surface 123A of the second part is suppressed.

Further, in the above embodiment, it has been described that the cover support 171 supports the cover 15 and the carrier support 173 supports the carrier 12, but the support 17 supports both the cover 15 and the carrier 12. If possible, it is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, the cover support 1710 may support the cover 15 and the carrier 1200.

Further, in the above embodiment, the cover support 171 supplies the culture solution to the bent portion 125, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as the culture solution can be supplied to the carrier 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, the cover support 1710 may supply the culture solution to the upper end 1201 of the carrier 1200 (see arrow D10 in the figure).

Further, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the carrier support 173 supplies carbon dioxide gas inside the carrier 12, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as the carbon dioxide gas is supplied to the carrier 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 10B, the gas supply body 1730 may be configured to blow carbon dioxide gas onto both surfaces of the carrier 1200. Further, a configuration for holding the carrier 12 and a configuration for supplying carbon dioxide gas may be provided separately. Although not shown, a configuration for holding the cover 15 and a configuration for supplying the culture solution may be provided separately.

Further, in the above embodiment, it has been described that the carrier 12 is pressed by using the roller pair 33, but if the member is capable of separating the culture solution and the microorganism from the carrier 12, the roller pair 33 is not used. You may. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 (c), the carrier 12 may be pressed by the pressing member 3311 having the curved portion 3310 protruding toward the carrier 12.

Also, when the roller pair 33 is used, the shapes of the first roller 331 and the second roller 333 are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 10D, the portion of the roller pair 3320 having the largest outer diameter, that is, the portion in contact with the carrier 12, may be formed discontinuously in the width direction.

Further, in the above embodiment, it has been described that the roller pair 33 is arranged along the width direction and moved in the vertical direction, but the direction of the roller pair 33 is not particularly limited. For example, the roller pairs 33 may be arranged along the vertical direction and moved in the width direction.

By the way, although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, it is of course possible to combine these embodiments and modifications.
Further, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

1 ... Culture system 10 ... Carrier unit 12 ... Carrier 15 ... Cover 17 ... Support 30 ... Roller unit 33 ... Roller pair

Claims (3)

The carrier part for culturing the culture target and
A holding part that holds the carrier part and
A culture apparatus having a recovery unit for collecting a culture target cultured in the carrier unit.
The carrier part is
A carrier to which the culture target is attached and
A support that supports the carrier and
It is provided with a held portion provided on the support and held by the holding portion.
The carrier includes a first opposing portion and the second opposing portion provided opposite to each other, and a continuous portion for continuously between the first opposing portion and the second opposing portion, the first opposing portion and A space is formed between the surfaces of the second facing portions facing each other, and gas is allowed to flow in the space.
The support is a culture apparatus having a culture solution supply unit that supplies the culture solution to the continuous portion of the carrier. A carrier to which the culture target is attached and
A support that supports the carrier and
It is provided with a held portion provided on the support and held by the holding mechanism of the incubator.
The carrier includes a first opposing portion and the second opposing portion provided opposite to each other, and a continuous portion for continuously between the first opposing portion and the second opposing portion, the first opposing portion and A space is formed between the surfaces of the second facing portions facing each other, and gas is allowed to flow in the space.
The support is a culture unit having a culture solution supply unit that supplies the culture solution to the continuous portion of the carrier. A carrier portion having a carrier to which a culture target is attached, a support for supporting the carrier, and a supported portion provided on the support and held by a holding mechanism of a culturing apparatus, and the carriers are mutually present. It has a first facing portion and a second facing portion provided facing each other, and a continuous portion that is continuous between the first facing portion and the second facing portion, and the first facing portion and the second facing portion. Form a space between the surfaces facing each other, and gas is allowed to flow in the space, and the support has a culture solution supply part that supplies the culture solution to the continuous part of the carrier. The step of holding the part in the holding mechanism of the incubator and
The step of culturing the culture target on the carrier and
A method for recovering a culture target, which comprises a step of recovering the culture target from the carrier.

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