Specifications of a Cell Culture Shaker Table

Developed in the 1950s, the culturing of material extracted from living organisms has proven to be an important research technology. For several decades the cell culture shaker table has served as one of the many pieces of equipment used by the researchers who study medicine and biology.

Standard Cell Shakers

• Today, the standard shaker has the ability to handle four to six flasks. Cultured tissues adhere to one side of a flask. The ideal shaker guarantees exposure of the cells to the proper temperature. In the case of mammalian cells, the ideal growing conditions include both a warm environment and exposure to a mixture of carbon dioxide and air. That mixture keeps the cultured tissues at the optimal pH.

Floor Shakers

• Specifications tissue culture has encouraged the creation of various types of floor shakers. Some are designed to handle a group of deep well microplates. They can be set at a range of temperatures, from room temperature up to 99 degrees centigrade.

  In some cases the shaker's mixing function can be performed by a rocking device. The lab supervisor who plans to purchase a rocker must consider several additional specifications. He must determine the rocker's best angle off of the horizontal and the ideal number of cycles per minute.

Bench-Top Shakers

• A compact air bath keeps mammalian cells in a warm environment, one that exposes them to the proper pH level. A micro-bio unit is designed for the incubation of microbes, usually bacteria. New options include a unit with a clamshell door and a unit with a programmable controller. This latter device lets scientists conduct experiments that employ changing temperatures, changing speed, or changing running time.