: Can you tell us what your company is doing to address the reproducibility problem?
JP: NuAire is designing and manufacturing engineering controls to minimize human error. NuAire routinely performs dynamic biological tests to research how our products perform in real-life laboratory situations to consistently enhance our products so you can concentrate on what really matters, your research.
: Do you provide materials and service support to researchers to facilitate experimental reproducibility?
JP: NuAire offers service and support that encompases the NuAire line of products provdiving guideance on preventative maintenance and best practices that in return puts the researcher in the best scenario to reproduce experiments.
: Do you provide any training with regard to best practices to facilitate experimental reproducibility and contamination-free cell lines?
JP: Our sales representatives provided onsite training upon product installation and are available for refresher courses upon request—helpful when a new technician joins the lab.
: Are there certain resources you suggest your customers use on a routine basis to get help or information?
JP: Your EHS department is staffed with amazing individuals. A core function of your biosafety officer is to guide your lab to not only maximize your results but ensure the safety of your technicians. Good laboratory practice is vital to cell line authentication.
ABSA (American Biosafety Association) offers free and paid training tools. https://absa.org/training/
: Your products are used extensively in cell culture. Can you talk about the specific product attributes that help prevent contamination of cell lines with bacteria, viruses, and mycoplasma.
JP: Biosafety cabinets (BSC) offer a dynamic air barrier that mitigates the breach of contamination due to user arm movements at the face opening of the BSC. True laminar airflow over the work zone helps to minimize product contamination. Each NuAire BSC is ergonomically designed and ADA compliant offering the technician an easy to use workspace. Our LabGard line of BSCs provides the most extensive workspace and the shortest reach into the safe working area on the market.
CO2 Incubators utilize HEPA filtration technology from biosafety cabinets that create a growth environment similar to an ISO Class 5 cleanroom. Exterior from the chamber, filters remove and trap particulates keeping contamination away from your cells. The HEPA filtration system features “closed loop” technology allowing the ability to slow air changes within the chamber to minimize cell desiccation.
Dual heat sterilization cycles (145C Dry / 95C Humidified) offer an overnight solution to eliminate potential chamber contamination. Coved interior corners are easy to clean and reduce potential growth hiding spots. A removable inner door gasket is autoclavable with the flange pointing to the laboratory environment again removing a hiding area for contamination.
Our CO2 incubators also feature the quickest recovery times in the market after door openings to minimize environmental degradation and the effect on cultures.
Our centrifuges feature Power Factor Control (PFC) technology that monitors and controls line voltage to the centrifuge. PFC provides consistent power to the motor replicating system parameters run after run offering true reproducible results.
Ultra Low-temperature freezers provided a consistent, reliable storage solution that protects samples until they are needed.
: Can you share some cell culture best practices to help avoid contamination and also human error that could lead to reproducibility issues?
JP: Arm movements in a BSC must be slow and deliberate. Rapid are movements can disrupt the air curtain at the face opening of the cabinet and can create turbulent airflow within the workzone contributing to cross contamination.
Always follow your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and set up by your Principal Investigator, Lab Manager, and Biosafety Officer.
https://learn.nuaire.com/working-safely-in-your-biosafety-cabinet/10-tips-working-safely-biosafety-cabinet
Author bio: Helping educate laboratory professionals about the proper selection, use, and maintenance of capital equipment throughout their lifespan to maximize your results. John Peters is the Marketing Director at NuAire, Inc. with a BS in Marketing with over ten years of experience in the Biological, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical containment equipment industry. John works closely with product engineers, industry professionals, and global standards to translate product specifications and best practices into easy to understand content.