Since 2002, Kuhner AG has successfully held courses about cultivation in shaken bioreactors (shake flasks, microtiter plates etc.). We can also provide further education and training for your staff if requested.
Frequently asked questions addressed in our seminars include:
These and other issues are discussed and backed up with scientific evidence. We can also provide seminars on specific themes of your choice.
If you would like to be notified about future seminars, please contact us.
The shaking table of an orbital shaker moves in a circle. The diameter of this circle is called the “shaking diameter”.
Most commonly used diameters are
On all Kuhner shakers the orbital movement can be changed at any time.
Yes. The shaking diameter is a key factor for the cultivating conditions in a shaken bioreactor. Given the same speed; the bigger the shaking diameter, the better the oxygen transfer rate inside the culture. This also applies to microtiter plates.
No. Microtiter plates can also be shaken with a larger diameter; the smaller the diameter, the faster the speed required (e.g. 700 rpm with 3mm). When choosing a larger diameter such as 50mm, a speed of 250 rpm may be enough to guarantee proper mixing and oxygen transfer.
In
a shaken bioreactor the mechanical stress on the cells is usually considerably
less than in a stirred system. In a stirred bioreactor there are two stress
effects: on the one hand you have small eddies near the impeller blades and on
the other hand, small bubbles burst on the liquid surface because the vessel is
sparged from the bottom. In a shaken bioreactor there is surface aeration and
the shaking movement gives uniform mixing without any local power inputs
No. Kuhner shakers have a unique drive system emitting less than 10 watts of heat.
Kuhner has the option of blackened windows to prevent light affecting your medium.
The smaller the volume and the longer the fermentation time, the more the evaporation rate affects your cultivation. Evaporation can be reduced by using special lids, stoppers, adhesive foils etc. One example is the Duetz system for microtiter plates. It is also necessary to humidify the incubator chamber.