Cultivation method, culture system, and active species introduction device

Abstract

The present invention provides a culture method and the like that enables proper culture. [Solution] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a culture method comprising a detection step and an introduction step, in which the detection step detects one or more characteristic quantities from a culture object and / or a culture medium in which the culture object is cultured, wherein the culture object includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells, and the introduction step introduces active species into the culture medium, wherein the active species includes one or more selected from the group consisting of active oxygen species, active nitrogen species, and active carbon species, and the introduction step controls the introduction mode of the active species based on the detected one or more characteristic quantities.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a culture method, a culture system, and an apparatus for introducing an active species. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, techniques for efficiently cultivating microorganisms such as microalgae have been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of irradiating the inside of a bioreactor with ionizing radiation to stimulate biomass growth. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021 / 0380964 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses ionizing radiation, which raises concerns about the risk of radiation exposure during use. In addition, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires special protective measures when using ionizing radiation, which is thought to pose a high barrier to introducing the equipment.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a culture method and the like that allows for proper culture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a culture method is provided comprising a detection step and an introduction step, wherein in the detection step, one or more characteristic quantities are detected from the target to be cultured and / or the culture medium in which the target to be cultured is cultured, and the target to be cultured includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells, and in the introduction step, active species are introduced into the culture medium, and the active species includes one or more selected from the group consisting of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species and reactive carbon species, and in the introduction step, the manner in which the active species are introduced is controlled based on the one or more detected characteristic quantities.

[0007] According to the above embodiment, a culture method that can properly perform cultivation is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the overall configuration of the culture system 100. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the hardware configuration of the information processing device 3. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the information processing device 3. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating the culture method of this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The various features shown in the embodiments below can be combined with each other.

[0010] In other words, the culture method of this embodiment is as follows. A culture method comprising: The method includes a detection step and an introduction step, In the detection step, one or more characteristic quantities are detected from the culture target and / or the culture medium in which the culture target is cultured. Here, the culture target includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells. In the introduction step, an active species is introduced into the medium, wherein the active species includes one or more selected from the group consisting of active oxygen species, active nitrogen species, and active carbon species, and in the introducing step, an introduction mode of the active species is controlled based on the detected one or more feature amounts.

[0011] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0012] Furthermore, various information processing according to an embodiment may realize input and output corresponding to the input. Here, the form of information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as reference information) is not limited as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression formula constructed using a statistical method), a trained model that has previously trained the correlation between input and output, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0013] In one embodiment, a "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In one embodiment, various information is handled, and this information is represented, for example, by physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0014] Furthermore, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least an appropriate combination of a circuit, circuitry, processor, memory, etc. The processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated circuit. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0015] 1. Hardware Configuration The above-described culture method is typically performed by a culture system equipped with a detection unit and an introduction unit. Specifically, the culture method of this embodiment is performed by a device or apparatus provided in the culture system performing predetermined control (information processing). In this section, the hardware configuration of a culture system 100 including such a control mechanism will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the culture system 100.

[0016] The culture system 100 of this embodiment is a system used to culture a predetermined target organism. Although not necessarily limited to the following embodiments, the culture system 100 of this embodiment comprises a first culture vessel 1, a second culture vessel 2, an information processing device 3, a sensor 4, an active species introduction unit 5, a gas introduction unit 6, and a light irradiation unit 7. In the example shown in Figure 1, the information processing device 3 is connected to the sensor 4, the active species introduction unit 5, the gas introduction unit 6, the light irradiation unit 7, etc., via a communication line. The communication line here includes the Internet and wireless communication, and mediates the exchange of data between devices connected to the same line. In this specification, the system exemplified by the culture system 100 consists of one or more devices or components. Therefore, the information processing device 3 alone can be an example of a system, and the system may also include various culture vessels, the sensor 4, the active species introduction unit 5, etc. The following describes each component that can constitute the culture system 100.

[0017] [Culture vessels (1st culture vessel 1, 2nd culture vessel 2)] In a typical embodiment, the culture system 100 is provided with a container for accommodating a culture medium. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a first culture vessel 1 and a second culture vessel 2 are provided, and a culture medium circulates within these vessels. Specifically, the illustrated embodiment shows a liquid culture medium (liquid culture medium) flowing from bottom to top in the first culture vessel 1, transferring the culture medium from the upper part of the first culture vessel 1 to the upper part of the second culture vessel 2, flowing from the upper part of the second culture vessel 2 to the lower part, and transferring the culture medium from the lower part of the second culture vessel 2 to the lower part of the first culture vessel 1. Note that a predetermined flow path may be provided between the first culture vessel 1 and the second culture vessel 2, allowing the culture medium to move therebetween. Such flow (circulation) of the culture medium may be achieved by a liquid delivery mechanism (e.g., a pump) not shown. Furthermore, although the present specification describes the culture medium used in the culture system 100 as being liquid (liquid culture medium), a solid culture medium (solid culture medium) may also be used within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although FIG. 1 shows the culture system 100 using a plurality of culture vessels, it is also possible to configure the culture system 100 using only a single culture vessel.

[0018] The object to be cultured (culture object) in the culture system 100 of this embodiment includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells. These microorganisms and cells can be appropriately selected from objects that require culture. In an exemplary aspect, the object to be cultured in the culture system 100 of this embodiment is microalgae. Note that "microalgae" refers to algae that exist in water such as freshwater or seawater, and examples thereof include algae whose individual size is mainly 1 μm to 50 μm. The type of microalgae is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include Cyanobacteria (e.g., Nostocales, Oscillationematales), Polytrichum macrophyceae (e.g., Garderia genus), Euonymus (e.g., Nannochloropsis genus), Mammialeophyceae (e.g., Mammiales, Monomastychales, Dolichomasticales), Nephroselmiphyceae (e.g., Nephroselmiplastida), Pedinophyceae (e.g., Pedinomonadales), Chlorodendronphyceae (e.g., Chlorodendronales), Trebouxiophyceae (e.g., Chlorellales, Microtamnionales, Trebouxiophyceae, Porphyrales), Ulva algae (e.g., Cladophorales, Kalancholiales), and the like. Examples include the following: the Salticales, the Cauldentales, the Violales, the Hibiscales, the Ulvales, the Sclerotiales, the Scotinosphaeriales, the Porphyraeidae (e.g., the Porphyraeidae), the Chlorophyceae (e.g., the Vorticales, the Chlamydomonadales, the Sclerotiales (particularly the Chromochloridaceae, Hydrodictyaceae, Scenedesmaceae, and Neochloridaceae families), the Pyralidae, the Chaetophorales, and the Chaetopeltis), the Euglenopodium (e.g., the Euglenales), the Pyramimonadales, the Scoulfieldiales, and the Pseudoscoulfieldiales.

[0019] Additionally, the culture target in the culture system 100 of this embodiment may be a microorganism other than the microalgae described above. Examples of microorganisms other than microalgae include prokaryotic bacteria (e.g., gram-positive bacteria (e.g., lactic acid bacteria, bifidobacteria, etc.), gram-negative bacteria (e.g., acetic acid bacteria, xanthomonas bacteria, Escherichia coli, etc.)), and eukaryotic fungi (e.g., yeast, koji mold, mold, etc.), but are not limited thereto. Various microorganisms that can be cultured by known culture techniques can also be cultured using the culture system 100. Furthermore, the culture target in the culture system 100 may be various types of cells isolated from various biological tissues. Furthermore, the culture system 100 of this embodiment may culture multiple types of microorganisms and / or cells.

[0020] [Information processing device 3] 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 3. The information processing device 3 has a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, a display unit 34, and an input unit 35, and is configured by electrically connecting these units via a communication bus 30. Each unit provided in the information processing device 3 will be described below.

[0021] (Communications Department 31) The communication unit 31 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the information processing device 3 to external components. The communication unit 31 is also configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from the external components to the information processing device 3. The communication unit 31 may have a network communication function, thereby enabling communication of various information between the information processing device 3 and external devices via a communication line.

[0022] (Storage unit 32) The storage unit 32 stores various pieces of information defined above. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs and the like related to the information processing device 3 executed by the control unit 33, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the program operations. The storage unit 32 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the information processing device 3 executed by the control unit 33.

[0023] (Control unit 33) The control unit 33 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 33 realizes various functions related to the information processing device 3 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 32. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 32 is specifically realized by the control unit 33, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 33. These will be described in more detail in the next section. Note that the control unit 33 is not limited to being single, and multiple control units 33 may be provided for each function. A combination of these may also be used.

[0024] (Display section 34) The display unit 34 may be, for example, included in the housing of the information processing device 3, or may be externally attached. The display unit 34 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by selectively using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and a plasma display depending on the type of the information processing device 3.

[0025] (Input unit 35) The input unit 35 may be included in the housing of the information processing device 3 or may be externally attached. For example, the input unit 35 may be implemented as a touch panel integrated with the display unit 34. The touch panel allows the user to input tapping, swiping, and the like. Of course, switch buttons, a mouse, a QWERTY keyboard, and the like may be used instead of the touch panel. That is, the input unit 35 accepts an operation input made by the user. The input is transferred as a command signal to the control unit 33 via the communication bus 30, and the control unit 33 can execute predetermined control or calculation as necessary.

[0026] [Sensor 4] The sensor 4 is a device that detects one or more characteristic quantities from the culture target and / or the culture medium in which the culture target is cultured. From this perspective, the sensor 4 is positioned as a typical example of a "detection unit" in this specification. The type of the sensor 4 may be appropriately determined depending on the parameters to be measured. When detecting a characteristic quantity from the culture target, the sensor 4 may be a device that measures the size, shape, color (e.g., color measured by a colorimeter), metabolic behavior, activity, etc. of the culture target (e.g., microalgae). The activity of the culture target here may be, for example, proliferation activity. When detecting a characteristic quantity from the culture medium, the sensor 4 may be a pH meter, an electrical conductivity meter, an ammeter, a potentiometer such as a redox potentiometer or a zeta potential system, a turbidity meter, a thermometer, a COD meter, an absorptiometer, a camera, a dissolved oxygen meter, a CO2 concentration meter, etc. The sensor 4 may also be a sensor that can detect and digitize qualitative data. Even with such qualitative data, the introduction mode of the active species can be optimized by applying a machine learning method.

[0027] [Active species introduction part 5] The active species introduction unit 5 is configured to introduce active species into the culture medium. From this perspective, the active species introduction unit 5 is positioned as a typical example of an "introduction unit" in this specification. Here, the active species includes one or more selected from the group consisting of active oxygen species, active nitrogen species, and active carbon species. Here, the active oxygen species is a chemical species known as ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species). Typical examples of active oxygen species include singlet oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, superoxide, etc. The active nitrogen species is a chemical species also known as RNS (Reactive Nitrogen Species). Typical examples of active nitrogen species include nitric oxide, peroxynitride, etc. The active carbon species is a chemical species also known as RCS (Reactive Carbonyl Species). Typical examples of active carbon species include CO2 radical anion (CO2 ·- Examples of the active species include carbon monoxide, acrolein, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The active species introduced into the culture system 100 may be any of the above-mentioned active oxygen species, active nitrogen species, and active carbon species, but are typically a mixture of these. That is, a mixture of active oxygen species and active nitrogen species, known as RONS, may be used as the active species introduced by the active species introduction unit 5. In the culture system 100 of this embodiment, the active species introduction unit 5 (introduction unit) is characterized in that the introduction mode of the active species is controlled based on one or more detected characteristic quantities. In other words, the active species introduction unit 5 of this embodiment is an active species introduction device used in the culture method of this embodiment, and the introduction mode of the active species is controlled, or can be connected to be controlled, based on one or more detected characteristic quantities. More specific introduction modes will be described later.

[0028] [Gas inlet section 6] The gas inlet 6 is configured to introduce a predetermined gas into the culture vessel (e.g., the second culture vessel 2). This gas inlet 6 is typically a mechanism for introducing a gas containing carbon dioxide into the culture vessel. Although not necessarily limited thereto, in the culture system 100 of this embodiment, the gas inlet 6 is arranged upstream of the position where the active species inlet 5 introduces active species. When the active species inlet 5 generates active species in the culture medium by using an electrical method as described below, the above-mentioned positional relationship provides the advantage that the gas introduced from the gas inlet 6 can be efficiently converted into active species. Note that, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the gas inlet 6 is controlled by the information processing device 3, but the operation of the gas inlet 6 may be controlled by a control device other than the information processing device 3.

[0029] [Light irradiation unit 7] The light irradiation unit 7 is configured to irradiate light into the culture vessel (for example, the first culture vessel 1). Irradiating light in this manner can promote the cultivation of the culture object. As described above, the culture object may be microalgae, and in this case, the light irradiated from the light irradiation unit 7 enables the microalgae to perform photosynthesis. Note that, although the present embodiment illustrates an example in which the light irradiation unit 7 is controlled by the information processing device 3, the operation of the light irradiation unit 7 may also be controlled by a control device other than the information processing device 3.

[0030] 2. Functional configuration This section describes the functional configuration of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the information processing device 3. As described above, information processing by software (stored in the storage unit 32) is specifically realized by hardware (control unit 33), and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 33.

[0031] Specifically, the information processing device 3 (control unit 33) may include, as its functional units, a feature acquisition unit 331, an external information reception unit 332, a device control unit 333, an introduction condition extraction unit 334, a display control unit 335, and a memory management unit 336. Note that these functional units may be increased, omitted, or integrated as appropriate depending on the application to which the information processing device 3 is applied.

[0032] (Feature acquisition unit 331) The feature acquisition unit 331 is configured to be able to execute a feature acquisition step. In the feature acquisition step, the feature acquisition unit 331 acquires one or more feature amounts from the culture target and / or the culture medium in which the culture target is cultured, detected by the detection unit (sensor 4) in the culture system 100. This acquisition is typically performed by acquiring the feature amounts detected by the detection unit (sensor 4) via a communication line.

[0033] (External information receiving unit 332) The external information receiving unit 332 is configured to execute the external information receiving process. In the external information receiving process, the external information receiving unit 332 receives the input external information. Details of the external information will be explained later.

[0034] (Device control unit 333) The device control unit 333 is configured to be able to execute a device control step. In the device control step, the device control unit 333 is configured to control devices (typically devices other than the information processing device 3) involved in the culture system 100. In this embodiment, the device control unit 333 controls the active species introduction unit 5 under predetermined control conditions. Note that the device control unit 333 may be configured to introduce active species into the culture medium based on the active species introduction conditions extracted in the introduction condition extraction step described below. Furthermore, although not necessarily limited to this, the device control unit 333 can also control the operations of the gas introduction unit 6, the light irradiation unit 7, etc.

[0035] (Introduction condition extraction unit 334) The introduction condition extraction unit 334 is configured to perform the introduction condition extraction process. In the introduction condition extraction process, the introduction condition extraction unit 334 extracts the introduction conditions for the active species based on one or more feature quantities detected by the sensor 4, etc., and predetermined reference information. The predetermined reference information here is information to which one or more feature quantities and the introduction conditions for the active species are associated. More specific embodiments will be described later.

[0036] (Display control unit 335) The display control unit 335 is configured to execute the display control process. In the display control process, the display control unit 335 generates various display information and displays it on a predetermined medium. The display information may be the visual information itself that is generated in a manner that can be seen by the user, such as a screen, image, icon, or text, or it may be rendering information for displaying visual information such as a screen, image, icon, or text on various devices or terminals.

[0037] (Storage Management Department 336) The memory management unit 336 is configured to perform a memory management process. In the memory management process, the memory management unit 336 is configured to manage various information to be stored related to the culture system 100 of this embodiment. Typically, the memory management unit 336 is configured to store information handled by the information processing device 3 in a memory area. This memory area may be, for example, the memory unit 32 of the information processing device 3 or the memory units of various devices and terminals, but this memory area does not necessarily have to be within the culture system 100, and the memory management unit 336 can also manage to store various information in an external memory device or the like.

[0038] 3. Details of the culture method In Section 3, a culture method that can be implemented in the culture system 100 will be described with reference to flow diagrams etc. Fig. 4 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the culture method of this embodiment.

[0039] [Detection process] 4, in this embodiment, first, as a detection step, one or more feature amounts are detected from the culture target and / or the culture medium in which the culture target is cultured (step S001). Typically, the detection of the feature amounts is achieved by the sensor 4 provided in the culture system 100 detecting the feature amounts related to the culture target or the culture medium.

[0040] In one aspect of this embodiment, the one or more feature amounts may include feature amounts related to the state of the culture target. That is, in this case, the sensor 4 is configured to be able to detect the state of the culture target according to known technology. For example, the sensor 4 detects the metabolic behavior or activity of the culture target (e.g., microalgae).

[0041] In one aspect of this embodiment, the one or more feature quantities may include feature quantities related to the amount of a component in the culture medium. In other words, in this case, the sensor 4 is configured to detect the amount of a predetermined component in the culture medium according to known techniques. The type of predetermined component can be set arbitrarily. Specifically, the amount of any organic or inorganic substance contained in the culture medium can be detected, and the detected amount (value) can be used as the one or more feature quantities. Examples of the arbitrary organic substance include a predetermined sugar or a predetermined amino acid. Examples of the arbitrary inorganic substance include a gas such as oxygen (O2), a predetermined metal, or a metal ion. The predetermined component in the culture medium to be detected may be some or all of the aforementioned active species.

[0042] In addition, the one or more feature quantities may include pH, electrical conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential, turbidity, temperature, COD, absorbance, zeta potential, etc. In other words, the type of sensor 4 may be set appropriately depending on the feature quantity to be detected.

[0043] [Introduction process] After detecting one or more feature quantities in this manner, the introduction step involves introducing active species into the culture medium (step S002). As mentioned above, the active species introduced in the introduction step include one or more selected from the group consisting of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, and reactive carbon species. Furthermore, in the introduction step, the manner in which the active species are introduced is controlled based on the one or more feature quantities detected.

[0044] As will be described in detail later, in one example of the introduction process of this embodiment, the amount of active species introduced may be adjusted. In such cases, the amount of active species introduced can be evaluated (measured) as follows. That is, if an electrical method is used in the introduction process, the amount of active species introduced may be evaluated based on the output amount of the electrical method. Also, if a predetermined agent (oxidizing agent, reducing agent, etc.) is added in the introduction process, the amount of active species introduced may be evaluated based on the amount of the predetermined agent added. On the other hand, methods for measuring the amount of introduced active species include, for example, methods for measuring (quantifying) the amount of active species based on ozone meters such as semiconductor thin-film type or constant potential electrolysis type, or peroxide meters such as IR type or fluorescence type. In other words, the introduction process of this embodiment also includes a mode in which the mode of active species introduction is controlled based on quantitative data measured by various instruments. It should be noted that adding indicator substances necessary for such quantitative measurement may also be included as part of the method for measuring the amount of active species.

[0045] In a typical embodiment, one or more feature quantities detected by the sensor 4 are acquired by the feature quantity acquisition unit 331 of the information processing device 3. That is, one or more feature quantities detected by the sensor 4 are transmitted to the information processing device 3 via a communication circuit. This also enables the information processing device 3 to perform predetermined calculation processing. In a typical embodiment, the device control unit 333 of the information processing device 3 controls the active species introduction unit 5 based on the results of this calculation processing to introduce active species into the culture medium.

[0046] To describe this calculation in more detail, the introduction condition extraction unit 334 of the information processing device 3 extracts the introduction conditions for the active species based on one or more feature quantities detected by the sensor 4 or the like and predetermined reference information. The predetermined reference information here is information in which at least one or more feature quantities are associated with the introduction conditions for the active species. The device control unit 333 then introduces the active species into the culture medium based on the introduction conditions for the active species extracted in the introduction condition extraction step. The predetermined reference information can be appropriately selected from among information that corresponds to the above-mentioned definition of "reference information." When associating the one or more feature quantities with the introduction conditions for the active species, the introduction conditions for the active species are typically associated with one or more feature quantities so as to achieve conditions that optimize the culture of the culture target.

[0047] The manner in which the active species is introduced into the medium in the introduction step may be controlled in various ways, for example, as follows.

[0048] That is, in one aspect of this embodiment, in the introducing step, the active species are introduced into the culture medium by generating the active species in the culture medium. That is, an example of an aspect is that, from a state in which the active species present in the culture medium (inside the first culture vessel 1 or the second culture vessel 2) is small, a predetermined process is performed to generate (increase) the active species present in the culture medium.

[0049] The generation of these active species can be achieved by various methods. One example is to generate active species in the culture medium using an electrical technique. Specifically, an example is to subject components present in the culture vessel (e.g., components contained in the culture medium) to electrical treatment, thereby causing a chemical change in the component and generating active species. While various electrical techniques are possible, a typical example is a technique in which active species are generated in the gas or liquid phase between electrodes using an apparatus configured to apply a potential difference between electrodes. Specifically, examples of electrical techniques include plasma treatment, corona treatment, or discharge treatment that generates ozone. In other words, in one aspect of the introduction step of the culture method of this embodiment, the irradiation mode or discharge mode in the plasma treatment, corona treatment, or discharge treatment is controlled based on one or more detected characteristic quantities. In a more specific aspect, the active species introduction unit 5 is a plasma irradiation device, a corona irradiation device, or a device that generates silent discharge. The irradiation mode (e.g., irradiation dose, irradiation timing) and discharge mode (e.g., discharge dose, discharge timing) of the culture medium in the culture vessel are controlled based on the above-described active species introduction conditions. The control of the irradiation or discharge mode described above may also include controlling the target of irradiation or discharge (the gas phase or liquid phase between the electrodes). That is, when the above-described irradiation treatment or discharge treatment (electrical treatment) is performed in the introduction step of this embodiment, the device control unit 333 may control the composition of the gas phase or liquid phase to which the treatment is performed. Assuming a typical embodiment of the culture system 100 in which a predetermined gas phase is disposed between the electrodes, this predetermined gas phase can be generated by mixing predetermined gases. That is, the culture system 100 may include one or more gas containers (not shown in FIG. 1 ), and each of the gas containers may include a valve whose degree of opening and closing is adjusted by a predetermined signal transmitted from the device control unit 333. Similarly, each of the gas containers may include a mechanism for adjusting the flow rate and velocity of the released gas by a predetermined signal transmitted from the device control unit 333.The gases contained in the various gas containers include, but are not limited to, air, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. The operator of the culture system 100 can select any gas that they can handle. By adjusting the gas flow rate and other parameters in this way, the composition of the gas phase placed between the electrodes can be adjusted, and the composition of the active species after electrical treatment can be adjusted. As a result, the amount, proportion, and type of active species in the culture vessel (culture medium) can be optimized. The same applies when a liquid phase is placed between the electrodes; the outflow rate from the container containing the components of the liquid phase can be controlled by the functions of the device control unit 333.

[0050] Furthermore, the generation of active species may be carried out by adding one or more agents selected from the group consisting of oxidizing agents, latent oxidizing agents, reducing agents, and latent reducing agents to the culture medium, thereby generating active species in the culture medium. That is, an example is a method in which active species are generated by subjecting components present in the culture vessel (components contained in the culture medium, etc.) to oxidation or reduction treatment, thereby causing a chemical change in the components. In a more specific embodiment, the active species introduction unit 5 is a device configured to introduce a predetermined agent into the culture vessel, and the amount, rate, location, and timing of the agent introduced into the culture medium in the culture vessel are controlled according to the active species introduction conditions described above. As a result, the amount and proportion of active species in the culture vessel (in the culture medium) are optimized.

[0051] The number of electrons transferred when an oxidizing agent oxidizes an oxidizing target is not particularly limited. That is, the oxidizing agent may be either a one-electron oxidizing agent or a multi-electron oxidizing agent. The aforementioned ozone is also an example of such an oxidizing agent. That is, an embodiment in which ozone is generated by a method other than the electrical method described above and the ozone is allowed to act on a culture medium is also an example of the introduction step of this embodiment. Similarly to the oxidizing agent, the number of electrons transferred when a reducing agent reduces an oxidizing target is not particularly limited. That is, the aforementioned reducing agent may be either a one-electron reducing agent or a multi-electron reducing agent. Furthermore, the terms "potential oxidizing agent" and "potential reducing agent" refer to agents that function as oxidizing agents or reducing agents when subjected to predetermined conditions (such as heating conditions or light irradiation conditions). In the introduction step of the culture method of this embodiment, predetermined control may be performed to create conditions for such potential oxidizing agents or reductive oxidizing agents to function.

[0052] While the above describes an embodiment in which active species are generated based on components present in the culture medium, the introduction step may be performed as follows. That is, in the introduction step, the active species may be introduced into the culture medium by adding pre-prepared active species to the culture medium. Although not shown in detail in FIG. 1 , the culture system 100 of this embodiment may be provided with a container (active species storage container) different from the culture vessel in which the active species can be prepared in advance. In a specific embodiment, the active species introduction unit 5 is a device that transfers the active species from the active species storage container into the culture vessel, and the transfer amount, transfer speed, transfer position, transfer timing, etc. of the active species to the culture medium in the culture vessel are controlled based on the above-mentioned active species introduction conditions. Note that the active species stored in the active species storage container may be, for example, gaseous. Here, when the active species are introduced from the active species storage container into the culture vessel, the size (bubble size) of the introduced bubbles and the introduction position of the bubbles may be controlled. That is, when the active species are introduced as bubbles, the bubble size and introduction area of ​​the bubbles may be changed by the function of the device control unit 333. Furthermore, the introduced bubbles may be stirred within a certain range. The stirring speed and stirring time may also be controlled by the functions of the device control unit 333. As a result of such various controls, the amount, proportion, and uniformity of the active species in the culture vessel (culture medium) are optimized.

[0053] Through the detection and introduction steps described above, a culture method that enables proper cultivation can be provided.

[0054] [Other processes] As described above, the culture method of this embodiment introduces active species into the culture medium based on at least one or more detected feature quantities. Meanwhile, the following steps may be performed prior to the introduction of the active species. That is, in the input step of the culture method of this embodiment, one or more pieces of external information related to the culture environment may be input. Furthermore, in the introduction step of this embodiment, the mode of introduction of the active species may be controlled based on the one or more detected feature quantities and one or more pieces of external information.

[0055] That is, in this embodiment, the external information receiving unit 332 of the information processing device 3 receives one or more pieces of external information input in the input step. Here, the external information is related to the culture environment and can be appropriately selected from information related to objects outside the culture vessel. For example, information such as the illuminance, weather, and temperature at the location where the culture vessel is located can be cited. Furthermore, time, etc. can be used as external information. Note that the external information may be current information (at the time of input), or may be past or future information.

[0056] Such external information may be automatically input to the information processing device 3 from, for example, various devices and equipment related to the culture system 100. On the other hand, the external information may be manually input by an operator (user) involved in the culture system 100. As an example, the display control unit 335 of the information processing device 3 may be configured to display a screen on the display unit 34 that allows the operator (user) viewing such a screen to input external information, so that the external information receiving unit 332 receives various types of external information.

[0057] After the external information receiving unit 332 of the information processing device 3 receives the external information in this way, the device control unit 333 controls the introduction mode of the active species introducing unit 5 based on the input external information in addition to the one or more feature amounts described above. For example, since the behavior of the culture target may vary depending on the time, taking this into consideration, the introduction mode of the active species (the amount of active species introduced, the introduction speed of the active species, the introduction position of the active species, the ratio of components constituting the active species, etc.) can be controlled to perform more appropriate culture.

[0058] 4. Variations In Section 4, modifications of the above-described culture system 100 and culture method will be described.

[0059] In the embodiments described above, a method for extracting the conditions for introducing active species based on predetermined reference information was shown. This predetermined reference information may be updated as the culture system 100 is operated repeatedly. That is, the culture system 100 may acquire data by associating the actual results of introducing active species with the culture results at that time, and may update the reference information based on these acquired results. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of introducing active species.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 3 performed various storage and control functions, but multiple external devices may be used instead of the information processing device 3. That is, various types of information may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple external devices using blockchain technology or the like.

[0061] The embodiments described above illustrate a mode in which the information processing device 3 performs predetermined processing. However, an information processing method executed by the information processing device 3 may also be provided, which includes steps for executing the processing of each part of the information processing device 3. Alternatively, a program may be provided to cause a computer to execute the processing of each part of the information processing device 3.

[0062] Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects.

[0063] (1) A culture method comprising a detection step and an introduction step, wherein in the detection step, one or more characteristic quantities are detected from the target to be cultured and / or the culture medium in which the target to be cultured is cultured, where the target to be cultured includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells, and in the introduction step, active species are introduced into the culture medium, where the active species includes one or more selected from the group consisting of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species and reactive carbon species, and in the introduction step, the manner in which the active species are introduced is controlled based on the detected one or more characteristic quantities.

[0064] (2) A culture method according to (1) above, further comprising an input step, wherein in the input step, one or more pieces of external information relating to the culture environment are input, and in the introduction step, the manner of introducing the active species is controlled based on the one or more detected feature quantities and the one or more pieces of external information that have been input.

[0065] (3) A culture method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the introduction step involves introducing the active species into the culture medium by generating the active species in the culture medium.

[0066] (4) The culture method according to (3) above, wherein the introducing step generates the active species in the culture medium by using an electrical method.

[0067] (5) The culture method according to (4) above, wherein the electrical technique is a plasma treatment, a corona treatment, or a discharge treatment that generates ozone, and in the introduction step, the irradiation mode or the discharge mode in the plasma treatment, the corona treatment, or the discharge treatment is controlled based on the one or more detected characteristic quantities.

[0068] (6) A culture method according to (3) above, wherein in the introduction step, one or more agents selected from the group consisting of oxidizing agents, latent oxidizing agents, reducing agents, and latent reducing agents are added to the culture medium to generate the active species in the culture medium.

[0069] (7) A culture method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein in the introduction step, the active species is introduced into the culture medium by adding the previously prepared active species to the culture medium.

[0070] (8) The culture method according to any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein the one or more feature amounts include a feature amount relating to the state of the culture object.

[0071] (9) The culture method according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the one or more feature amounts include feature amounts relating to the amounts of components in the culture medium.

[0072] (10) A culture method according to any one of (1) to (9) above, further comprising an introduction condition extraction step, wherein the introduction condition extraction step extracts the introduction conditions for the active species based on the detected one or more feature quantities and predetermined reference information, where the predetermined reference information is information to which one or more feature quantities and the introduction conditions for the active species are associated, and the introduction step introduces the active species into the culture medium based on the introduction conditions for the active species extracted in the introduction condition extraction step.

[0073] (11) The culture method according to any one of (1) to (10) above, wherein the culture object is a microalga.

[0074] (12) A culture system comprising a detection unit and an introduction unit, wherein the detection unit detects one or more characteristic quantities from a target to be cultured and / or a culture medium for culturing the target to be cultured, where the target to be cultured includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells, the introduction unit introduces active species into the culture medium, where the active species includes one or more selected from the group consisting of reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species and reactive carbon species, and the introduction unit controls the manner in which the active species are introduced based on the detected one or more characteristic quantities.

[0075] (13) A device for introducing active species, which is used in the culture method described in any one of (1) to (11) above, and which controls or can be connected to control the manner in which the active species are introduced based on the detected one or more characteristic quantities. Of course, this is not the case.

[0076] Finally, while various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Such embodiments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the accompanying claims.

[0077] 1:First culture container 2:Second culture container 3: Information Processing Device 4: Sensor 5:Active species introduction part 6: Gas inlet 7: Light-irradiating section 30: Communication bus 31: Communications Department 32: Storage section 33: Control section 34: Display section 35: Input section 100: Culture System 331: Feature extraction unit 332: External Information Reception Department 333: Device control section 334:Introduction condition extraction part 335: Display control unit 336:Memory Management Department

Claims

1. A culture method comprising: The method includes a detection step and an introduction step, In the detection step, one or more feature amounts are detected from the culture object and / or the medium in which the culture object is cultured; wherein the culture target includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells, In the introduction step, an active species is introduced into the medium, wherein the active species includes one or more selected from the group consisting of active oxygen species, active nitrogen species, and active carbon species, and in the introducing step, an introduction mode of the active species is controlled based on the detected one or more feature amounts.

2. The culture method according to claim 1, further comprising an input step, In the input step, one or more pieces of external information related to the culture environment are input, In the introducing step, an introduction mode of the active species is controlled based on the one or more detected feature amounts and the one or more input external information.

3. The culture method according to claim 1, In the introducing step, the active species is introduced into the culture medium by generating the active species in the culture medium.

4. The culture method according to claim 3, A culture method, wherein the introducing step generates the active species in the culture medium by using an electrical method.

5. The culture method according to claim 4, the electrical treatment is a plasma treatment, a corona treatment, or a discharge treatment that generates ozone, In the introducing step, an irradiation mode or a discharge mode in the plasma treatment, the corona treatment, or the discharge treatment is controlled based on the one or more detected feature amounts.

6. The culture method according to claim 3, A culture method, wherein the introduction step generates the active species in the medium by adding one or more agents selected from the group consisting of an oxidizing agent, a potential oxidizing agent, a reducing agent, and a potential reducing agent to the medium.

7. The culture method according to claim 1, In the introducing step, a pre-prepared active species is added to the culture medium, thereby introducing the active species into the culture medium.

8. The culture method according to claim 1, A culture method, wherein the one or more feature amounts include a feature amount related to the state of the culture object.

9. The culture method according to claim 1, The one or more feature amounts include feature amounts related to the amounts of components in the culture medium.

10. The culture method according to claim 1, Further equipped with a process for extracting implementation conditions, In the introduction condition extraction step, an introduction condition for the active species is extracted based on the one or more detected feature amounts and predetermined reference information; wherein the predetermined reference information is information in which at least one or more feature quantities and an introduction condition of an active species are associated with each other; In the introduction step, the active species is introduced into the culture medium based on the introduction conditions for the active species extracted in the introduction condition extraction step.

11. The culture method according to claim 1, The culture method, wherein the culture object is microalgae.

12. A culture system, It comprises a detection unit and an introduction unit, the detection unit detects one or more feature amounts from the culture object and / or a culture medium in which the culture object is cultured; wherein the culture target includes one or more selected from the group consisting of microorganisms and cells, the introduction unit introduces an active species into the culture medium, Here, the active species include one or more selected from the group consisting of active oxygen species, active nitrogen species, and activated carbon species, and the introduction unit controls the introduction mode of the active species based on the detected one or more feature amounts.

13. A device for introducing active species, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, An active species introduction device in which the introduction mode of the active species is controlled or can be connected to be controlled based on the one or more detected feature amounts.

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