Author Archives: Tony Allman

This article will look at the history and development of a de-facto standard in academic and industrial research laboratories throughput the world, the Multitron incubator shaker. The aim is to show that an initial revolution can lead to evolution, as needs change over time. The fundamentals of a good design can last decades, when new benefits and the best of current technologies are added regularly.

CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) cells are the most commonly used resource for complex recombinant proteins for therapeutic use. Their importance for bioprocessing is already significant and growing.  

In order to understand the optimum conditions for in-vitro culture, you need to know which natural environment gives the organism what they need to grow and thrive. In addition, a clear understanding of the different growth phases in a bioprocess is essential for selecting a bioprocess strategy.

In today’s world, bioprocess software solutions are an essential tool for modern laboratories. Bioprocesses are controlled using process data and optimized with the help of mathematical models based on the gathered data. Manual experiment planning and data documentation cannot keep up with this in the long term. Inefficiency, duplication of work, a lack of planning and poor or inconsistent data quality can have devastating consequences. If you want to have the quality, cost, and time-to-market of your products under control, it is essential to consistently digitize your bioprocesses – starting with the preculture in the incubator shaker.

Setting up a bioreactor is not as easy as it sometimes sounds. Which sensors do I have to calibrate before autoclaving? Is it important to protect the filters with foil from water condensate in the autoclave? These are only some questions which arise when preparing a bioreactor for its next cultivation run. This blog post will guide you through the assembly of a bioreactor step by step and provide practical help for successfully starting a bioprocess.

A bioreactor provides an ideal environment where cells can focus on what they are supposed to do: proliferate. Like lab workers, cells can only produce consistently good work if the conditions are right: it should not be too hot or too cold, and they have to have enough nutritous food and fresh air. In terms of a bioreactor, this means maintaining pH, temperature, ensuring sufficient gas supply and, depending on how the instrument has been configured, adding nutrients for successful maintenance of growth.