Microbiology and Cell Culture: Equipment for Every Step of the Workflow
- Bacterial and fungal culture
- Anaerobic microbiology
- Mammalian cell culture
- Hypoxia and low-oxygen research
- Environmental and QC monitoring
- Teaching laboratories
Microbiology and Cell Culture Workflow
| Step | What matters | Equipment we supply |
|---|---|---|
| Media preparation | Accurate weighing and dissolving of media components | MRC balances; TOMY autoclave dissolving and warming cycles |
| Sterilisation | Validated cycles for media, glassware and waste | TOMY SX-500U (50 L) and SX-700U (69 L) vertical autoclaves |
| Aerobic incubation | Stable temperature, with or without light | Percival incubators and JKG-41/66 incubator configurations |
| CO₂ incubation | CO₂, temperature and humidity for cell culture | Percival B-36 and B-3600 CO₂ incubators |
| Anaerobic culture | Oxygen-free handling and incubation, verified oxygen levels | MRC AW-series anaerobic chambers, ANJR-150 jar, Porta-O2-PPM analyser |
| Hypoxia studies | Controlled low oxygen for cells and tissues | MRC hypoxia chambers |
| Separation | Pelleting cells and clarifying samples | TOMY centrifuges |
| Mixing and monitoring | Resuspension and environmental air monitoring | MRC vortex mixers and microbial air samplers |
| Growth measurement | Optical density and assays | MRC spectrophotometers |
Recommended Equipment
Protecting Cultures and Results
Validate sterilisation
Verify atmospheres
Catalogues and Compliance Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
What equipment does a microbiology laboratory need?
At minimum: a balance and autoclave for media, incubators at the temperatures you work at, and a centrifuge. Anaerobic, CO₂ or hypoxia work adds controlled-atmosphere equipment, and quality-control labs add air samplers.
Which autoclave suits a microbiology lab?
Vertical autoclaves such as the TOMY SX-500U (50 L) and SX-700U (69 L) handle media, glassware and waste without plumbing, with dissolving and warming cycles for agar. See laboratory autoclaves.
Anaerobic chamber or anaerobic jar?
Jars suit a few plates at a time; chambers let you handle and incubate cultures without exposing them to air, for routine anaerobic work. MRC AW-series chambers hold 220 to 800 Petri dishes.
What is the difference between a CO₂ incubator and a hypoxia chamber?
A CO₂ incubator controls CO₂ (and often humidity) at normal oxygen for standard cell culture. A hypoxia chamber lowers oxygen to physiological or disease-relevant levels.
How do I monitor airborne contamination?
A microbial air sampler draws a set volume of air onto culture media, so colony counts can be compared against limits for labs and clean areas.