Growth Control

Konstantin Schneider, Verena Schütz, Gernot John, and Elmar Heinzle;

GIT Laboratory Journal 2011 1-2

Non-invasive measurement of Dissolved Oxygen and pH in Shake Flask Cultures

Shake flasks are the most commonly used cultivation system. A major, though often neglected problem in aerobic shake flask cultivation is limited oxygen supply or an incorrect pH value. The optimal oxygen supply of cells and perfect pH conditions are essential basic requirements for high quality cell cultures. A shortage in oxygen significantly influences the cellular metabolism; the same applies for shifts of pH. Different factors like the geometry of baffles or the application or production of surface active compounds can change the oxygen mass transfer unpredictably. PreSens´ new Shake Flask Reader (SFR) allows parallel optical online measurement of dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) and pH in shake flask.