APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CULTURING AND/OR TRANSPORTING CELLULAR STRUCTURES

An apparatus for culturing and/or transporting embryos, oocytes or other cellular structures, comprising a housing (12) having a gas space (28) and a media space (18) for a liquid medium separated from one another by a barrie r (16) having one or more gas permeable regions to allow gas diffusion from the gas space to the media space, and an essentially gas-tight gas closure m eans (14) adapted to restrict the passage of gas into the container from the exterior environment, and liquid closure means (14, 16) adapted to engage w ith the housing to form a liquid-tight seal for retaining liquid in the medi a space. The barrier preferably comprises an at least partly gas-permeable i nsert (16) that when inserted into the housing forms together with the housi ng a gas space (28) and a liquid media space (18) in gas communication with one another via diffusion through the insert. The insert may be at least par tly porous, the pores of the insert comprising at least part of the gas spac e.