Laboratory Incubators

Laboratory incubators are standard equipment for any research team that works on cell and tissue cultures, microorganisms and plants. Enclosing samples within a sealed chamber, incubators ensure cells and biological samples are maintained at a desired temperature. Researchers can now enjoy access to a wide variety of different types of incubators, including those that also regulate other conditions. Among these conditions are atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), oxygen (O2), humidity, as well as movement like shaking and rocking. Based on these functions, incubators can be broadly categorized into distinct types. The most common incubator types are described below.

Common Types of Laboratory Incubators

• CO2 Incubators - When culturing mammalian cells, it is important to maintain the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in a level similar to the in vivo environment. In addition, the balance between dissolved CO2, biocarbonate from buffers and atmospheric CO2 can cause changes in the pH of the culture. CO2 incubators can supply, monitor, and control the concentration of carbon dioxide of the incubating cells, ensuring they are cultured in the ideal atmospheric conditions.
• Hypoxia Incubators and Chambers - Certain cells, notably stem cells, exist under hypoxic, or low oxygen, conditions in the body. To mimic this physiological state, hypoxia incubators, chambers, and workstations, allow researchers to grow and handle cells under carefully controlled levels of atmospheric oxygen (O2). Hypoxia incubators are enclosures dedicated to growing cultures, while hypoxia workstations feature a glove box for directly handling cells and tissues while maintaining hypoxic conditions.
• Dry Bath Incubators - Dry bath incubators, including dry block heaters, are benchtop instruments that use metal blocks to quickly and efficiently transfer heat onto tubes and multi-well plates. These incubators are generally powered by a microprocessor for precise temperature control and timed operations. Many instruments feature a wide selection of interchangeable blocks to accommodate different sample volumes. Useful features include heated lids and cooling functions.
• Incubator Shakers - Incubator shakers functions as both an incubator as well as a platform shaker, offering the ability to mix and agitate liquid samples. This standard laboratory equipment is useful for the agitation and aeration of liquid cell and tissue cultures, as well as other applications that require simultaneous heating and mixing. Like incubators, incubator shakers will vary in size and temperature. In addition, they can also vary in shaking speed and vessel capacity. Many will feature customizable platforms to accommodate different vessel types, including flasks, tubes and bottles.
• Thermal mixers - Thermal mixers, also referred to as thermal shakers, are instruments designed to incubate and shake tubes and microplates. These compact, benchtop devices are ideal for quick and routine applications, such as protein digestions, enzymatic preparations, and various assays.
• Laboratory Ovens - Laboratory ovens generally heat an enclosed chamber at higher temperatures than a standard incubators. At higher temperatures, ovens are used for applications such as drying, baking, sterilizing, pre-heating, and other types of incubation. Hybridization ovens, in particular, are standard instruments in hybridizing probes during nucleic acid or protein blotting. Ovens that use a rotisserie are able to rotate a sample at a consistent speed to ensure even heating of all surfaces.

Useful Features in Laboratory Incubators

Beyond the inhibitor types mentioned above, prospective buyers should know that contemporary incubators in the market can come with a wide variety of useful features. As the maintenance of optimal conditions within the chamber is important, many inhbibitors come with built in sensors. CO2 incubators, for instance, come with thermal conductivity (TC), which are less expensive, or infrared sensors (IR), which are generally more accurate. Many incubators will feature active monitoring of temperature or oxygen conditions and will sound an alarm or send a notification when levels deviate from normal. Incubators with network connectivity can send remote notifications. Many incubators can log and record data, allowing users to check for any changes to incubation conditions. Some incubators can be connected to a computer for easy access and exporting of such data. To prevent contamination in tisssue cultures, some incubators come with a built-in decontamination feature. These include a high heat sterilization cycle or a hydrogen peroxide vapor decontamination system. Other examples of useful features include precise CO2, O2, and humidity control, touch screen control panels, and chamber air filtration. Before deciding on a single incubator, be sure to check out other similar instruments to learn what would be the best fit for your lab's unique needs.