The document traces the evolution of the laboratory centrifuge from its origins in the 1860s to recent advances. Some key developments include Friedrich Miescher using a crude centrifuge in 1869 to discover nucleic acids, Theodor Svedberg inventing the first ultracentrifuge in the 1920s to determine protein structure, and Eppendorf developing the first microcentrifuge for lab use in 1962. Advances have included higher speeds, automated controls, and smaller personal centrifuges ideal for quick samples. Centrifuges continue to be improved through new materials, ergonomics, and safety features.

1. Evolution of the
Laboratory
Centrifuge
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2000
Eppendorfintroducesthe
innovativecooled5415D
centrifuge.
1869
FriedrichMiescherwas
thefirsttoadoptacrude
centrifugeforlaboratory
application,usingittoisolate
acelloragelle.Thisprocess
ledtothediscoveryofan
importantclassofbiological
constituents,latertobe
knownasnucleicacids.
1864
AntoninPrandtldevelopedand
commercializedthefirstdairy
centrifugeforseparatingcream
frommilk.
1879
GustafdeLaval,aSwedish
engineerandinventor,
demonstratesthefirst
continuouscentrifugalseparator,
leadingtothewidespread
commercializationofthe
technologyforthefirsttime.
FriedrichMiescher
GustafdeLaval
TheodorSvedberg
ArnoldOrvilleBeckman
ChristiaanHuygens
1659
ChristiaanHuygenscoinsthe
term“centrifugalforce”inhis
1659DeViCentrifuga.Huygens
alsodiscoveredSaturn’smoon
Titan,inventedthependulum
clock,andpioneeredworkon
gamesofchance.
1730
MilitaryengineerBenjamin
Robinsdevelopsawhirling
apparatustodeterminedrag.
1930s
EdwardPickelsandJohannes
Bauertogetherbuildthefirst
high-speedvacuumcentrifuge
suitableforthestudyof
filterableviruses.Later,Pickels
wentontodevelopthemore
convenient,electricallydriven
ultracentrifuge.
1946
EdwardPickelscofoundedSpinco
(SpecializedInstrumentsCorp.)
inBelmont,California,and
marketedanultracentrifuge
basedonhisdesign.However,
salesofthetechnologyremained
lowandSpinconearlywent
bankruptintheearlyyears.
1930s
MartinBehrensdeveloped
centrifugationtechniquesusing
densitygradientsofnonaqueous
solventsfortheseparation
ofnuclei.Hisapproachto
tissuefractionationaimedto
isolateoneormoreidentifiable
componentsfromdisruptedcells
thatcouldbephysicallyand
chemicallycharacterized.
1940s
IvanSorvallstartedSorvallin
the1940's,andinventedthe
Superspeedcentrifuge,theSS-1,
anopentripodtabletopunit.
1926
SvedbergreceivesaNobel
Prizefortheinventionofthe
ultracentrifugeandhiswork
incolloidchemistry.
TheodorSvedberg,aSwedish
colloidchemist,developsthe
firstultracentrifuge.Capable
ofachieving900,000×g,
Svedbergusedhiscentrifuge
todeterminethemolecular
weightandsubunitstructure
ofhighlycomplexproteins
suchashemoglobin.
1920
1930
1950
MyronK.Brakke,whileworking
attheBrooklynBotanicGarden
developeddensitygradient
centrifugation,atoolthat
allowedforthepurification
ofvirusparticlesandushered
inaneweraofvirologyand
molecularbiologyresearch.
2010s
Advancesinergonomicsand
safetycontinueincludingeasy
andsecurerotorattachment,
instantrotoridentification,and
self-openingdoors.
2000s
Thisperiodseetheexpansionof
personalcentrifugessuchasthe
MiniSpinandMyFuge.Economical
andconvenient,theydriveanew
markettrendtowardcentrifuges
idealforquickspindownsof
microtubesandPCRtubes.
1962
Netheler&HinzMedizintechnik,
acompanybasedinHamburg,
Germany,andknowntodayas
Eppendorf,developedthefirst
microcentrifugeforlaboratoryuse.
1930
ÉmileHenriotdevelopeda
centrifugeabletoachievehigh
rotationalspeedsbymeans
ofabearinglesstop,driven
andsupportedbycompressed
air.Thistransitionedthe
ultracentrifugeoutofthe
realmofapurelyanalytical
instrumentandintosample
preparation.
1954
BeckmanInstruments
purchasesSpincoandbegins
toimprovethedesignof
centrifuges,manyofwhichare
stillinusetoday.
1955
Sorvallintroducesfloorstanding
unitwithrefrigeration.
1976
Theworld’sfirst
microprocessorcontrolled
centrifugewaslaunched
atACHEMAbyHettich.This
innovationwasconsidered
aheadofitstime,andarrived
manyyearsbeforethis
technologybecamestandard.
1958
MatthewMeselsonandJ.F.
StahlcentrifugedDNA,giving
evidenceforWatson&Crick's
proposedmechanismofDNA
replication.
Thefirstrobotic
centrifugeisintroduced
byHettich–this
centrifugeofferedPC
controlandadjustable
rotorpositioning.
1900s
1900s
Advancesinmaterialsscience
seethewidespreadadoption
ofcarbonfiberrotorswhich
allowforaccelerationusing
unmatchedg-forceswithout
compromisingsamplecapacity
orriskofmetalfatigue.
AlbertClaudeandJames
Potterpublishedalandmark
paper,"IsolationofChromatin
ThreadsfromtheResting
NucleusofLeukemicCells".
Thispaperoutlinedaseriesof
centrifugationstepsinwhich
eitherthesupernatantorthe
sedimentwascollecteduntil
chromatinthreadswereretrieved
fromthefinalsediment.
1942
1949
Spincointroduces
theModelL,thefirst
preparativeultracentrifuge
toreachaspeedof40,000rpm,
andmarkingachangeinthe
fortunesofSpinco.
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