Patent ID: 8268611

Claim:
Microtiter plate comprising: a top surface; a plurality of first cavities which open on the top surface, wherein the first cavities are provided for holding a nutrient solution; a plurality of second cavities which open on the top surface, wherein the second cavities are provided for holding a culture liquid; a plurality of channels, each of said channels respectively connecting one of said first cavities to at least one of said second cavities; and a diffusion barrier provided in each of said channels, the diffusion barrier being designed to control the release of nutrients in a fed-batch manner from a nutrient solution in the first cavity to a culture liquid in the at least one second cavity such that the diffusion barrier prevents both an excess and a deficiency of nutrients in the at least one second cavity, wherein each said diffusion barrier seals said each of said channels, and the diffusion barrier having a permeability determined by a length, cross-section, and nature of a material of the diffusion barrier, the permeability selected from the group consisting of a permeability to carbon sources in the range of 2.5-250 g carbon source/(L culture volume ×h total culture time ) a permeability to nitrogen sources in the range of 0.016-1.6 mol nitrogen atoms/(L culture volume ×h total culture time ) a permeability to phosphorous sources in the range of 0.0008-0.08 mol phosphorus atoms/(L culture volume ×h total culture time ), and a permeability to sulfur sources in the range of 0.0004-0.04 mol sulfur atoms/(L culture volume ×h total culture time ).