Support for Cultivating Biological Material

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container ( 1 ) for cultivating biological material, comprising a solid inert substrate ( 3 ), a growth medium and biological material arranged in or on the substrate ( 3 ), wherein the container ( 1 ) is substantially closed, wherein the volume of the container ( 1 ) is sterile and wherein the biological material comprises sowing material, and to a method and the use of the container ( 1 ) for cultivating biological material.

1 .- 12 . (canceled)  
   
   
       13 . A container for cultivating biological material, comprising: 
 a solid inert substrate;    a growth medium; and    a biological material in contact with the substrate,    characterized in that the container is substantially closed, and the container content is sterile.    
   
   
       14 . The container as claimed in  claim 13 , characterized in that at least one side of the container is closed with a semi-permeable foil.  
   
   
       15 . The container as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 a gas mixture in the container having an increased CO 2  concentration such that autotrophic growth of the biological material is enhanced.    
   
   
       16 . The container as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a valve for adding material to the container.    
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a material chosen from a gas mixture, nutrient and a growth-stimulating agent.    
   
   
       18 . The container as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a carrier with the sowing materials dispersed therein.    
   
   
       19 . The container as claimed in  claim 18 , characterized in that the sowing material is chosen from the group comprising seeds, shredded or singulated vegetable material, vegetable somatic embryos, fern spores, adventive or axillary shoots or parts thereof.  
   
   
       20 . The container as claimed in  claim 13 , characterized in that the solid inert substrate is selected from the group consisting of rockwool, glass wool, coconut fibre, purane foam, peat, hemp fibres, potting compost and cellulose wadding.  
   
   
       21 . The container as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 sub-container inside the container, wherein the sub-container receives substrate and sowing material.    
   
   
       22 . The container as claimed in claim  1 , further comprising: 
 between 1 and 500 sub-containers in the container.    
   
   
       23 . A method for cultivating biological material, comprising the steps of: 
 providing sterile biological cell material;    placing the cell material in a first closed, sterile container provided with an agar medium; and    allowing the cell material to grow in the first container;    removing grown cell material from the first container;    dividing the cell grown material into smaller parts to form sowing material;    placing a smaller part of the sowing material in a second container for further growth;    arranging the sowing material in contact with an inert solid substrate, wherein the substrate is accommodated by the second container;    arranging a growth medium in the second container; and    closing the second container in sterile manner.    
   
   
       24 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , characterized in that after growth at least a part of the substrate with further grown sowing material is transplanted into a container with a substantially equivalent or identical substrate.  
   
   
       25 . A container for cultivating biological material, comprising: 
 a solid inert substrate;    a growth medium; and    a biological material in contact with the substrate,    a gas mixture in the container having an increased CO 2  concentration such that autotrophic growth of the biological material is enhanced,    characterized in that at least one side of the container is closed with a semi-permeable foil and the container content is sterile.    
   
   
       26 . The container as claimed in  claim 25 , further comprising: 
 a valve for adding material to the container;    a material chosen from a gas mixture, nutrient and a growth-stimulating agent; and    a carrier with the sowing materials dispersed therein.    
   
   
       27 . The container as claimed in  claim 26 , characterized in that the sowing material is chosen from the group comprising seeds, shredded or singulated vegetable material, vegetable somatic embryos, fern spores, adventive or axillary shoots or parts thereof.