2. An incubator is an insulated and enclosed device used in laboratories
that creates an optimum environment which is required for the growth of
microorganisms by providing optimum temperature, humidity, and other
environmental conditions such as the CO2 and oxygen content inside’s
atmosphere.
INCUBATOR
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGIST: MANOJ MEHTA
4. The principle of incubator is based on creating and maintaining
a controlled environment to facilitate the growth, development, or
reproduction of living organisms and other microorganisms.
The instrument works on thermo temperature mechanism.
The set temperature is maintained by sensor and cooling system.
The Instrument maintains the physical environment like
temperature, humidity, oxygen and carbon dioxide level as per the
requirement.
The regulation of these parameters varies from design to design.
Knowing the need of the microorganism, the parameters are set
accordingly.
INCUBATOR
5. On the basis of the presence of a particular parameter or the purpose
of the incubator, incubators are divided into the following types:
Benchtop incubators
Shaker incubator
CO2 incubators
Cooled incubators
Portable incubator
TYPES OF INCUBATORS
7. This is the most common type of incubator used in most of the
laboratories.
It has a basic function of temperature control and insulation.
Temperatures range from ambient to 100 degrees celsius.
The majority of these incubators have a glass door, alarms,
and a screen that indicates the time and temperature.
Commonly used for a variety of applications, including cell
culture, microbiology experiments, and other research activities.
Benchtop/Standard Incubator
9. It contains a shaker which continuously shakes the culture media for
proper aeration. It transfers the heat uniformly within the incubator.
A shaking incubator is a motor/shaker paired with an incubator.
The incubator has temperature, humidity, and oxygen levels under
control
Its advantage is that it provides a rapid and uniform transfer of heat to
the culture vessel, and its agitation provides increased aeration, resulting
in acceleration of growth.
This incubator, however, can only be used for broth or liquid culture
media
Shaker incubator
11. A portable incubator is a portable, lightweight incubator
designed for use in a variety of settings, including research
laboratories, educational institutions, and fieldwork.
Portable incubators are typically smaller and more compact
than traditional incubators, and they are designed to be
easily transported and set up in different locations
Used in field research like environmental microbiology
and water examination, agricultural
Portable incubator
13. Cooled incubators, also known as refrigerated incubators, are
specialized pieces of laboratory equipment used to maintain a
controlled, low temperature environment for growing or culturing
cells, microorganisms, or plants.
For incubation at temperatures below the ambient, incubators
are fitted with modified refrigeration systems with heating and
cooling controls.
They are commonly used in research laboratories and other
scientific settings to study the growth and behavior of cells,
microorganisms, or plants under low temperature conditions.
.
Cooled incubators
15. Some microbes cannot develop in environments where oxygen is
present. The CO2 incubator offers this atmosphere.
It includes a unique system that helps maintain CO2 within the
incubator’s chamber. Typically, infrared or thermal conductivity
sensors measure CO2 concentration.
This type of incubator is used for the growth of the cultivation of
different bacteria requiring 5-10% of CO2 concentration.
For humidity control, water is kept underneath the cabinet of the
incubator.
.
CO2 incubators
16. Used to maintain the growth of different microbial cultures or cell
cultures, which we can use in later.
Sometimes they are used to enhance the growth rate of organisms.
Some advanced incubators are used for the reproduction of
microbial colonies and subsequent determination of biochemical
oxygen demand.
In zoology, they are also used for the breeding of insects and
hatching of eggs.
It also used to store different medical samples.
.
Application of Incubator
18. A laboratory centrifuge is a device that makes use of a
centrifugal force created by a rotating mechanism of rotors to
separate the materials of different particle sizes in a solution or
suspension
A centrifuge is a laboratory instrument that uses spinning and
centrifugal force to separate mixtures based on their density
A centrifuge operates by using the sedimentation principle-
here the substances are separated based on their density under
the influence of gravitational force. When spun rapidly, lighter
particles stay at the top and heavier particles go to the bottom
during centrifugation.
CENTRIFUGE
19. A centrifuge works through the principle of sedimentation which is
under the influence of gravitational force and centrifugal force and
thus separating the substances based on their densities.
When a sample is placed in a centrifuge and spun at high speeds, a
centrifugal force is created that causes the denser components of the
sample to sediment out.
The magnitude of the centrifugal force depends on the speed of the
centrifuge and the size of the rotor. The higher the speed and the
larger the rotor, the greater the centrifugal force that is generated.
.The spinning motion of the rotor creates a gravitational force that
is much stronger than the earth’s gravitational force, causing the
denser components of the sample to sediment out more quickly.
CENTRIFUGE
22. Benchtop centrifuge is a compact centrifuge that is commonly
used in clinical and research laboratories.
It is driven by an electric motor where the tubes are rotated
about a fixed axis, resulting in force perpendicular to the tubes.
Because these are very compact, they are useful in smaller
laboratories with smaller spaces.
Different variations of benchtop centrifuges are available in
the market for various purposes.
A benchtop centrifuge has a rotor with racks for the sample
tubes and a lid that closes the working unit of the centrifuge.
BENCHTOP CENTRIFUGE
24. Hematocrit centrifuges operate between 7000 and 15000
rpm.
The main purpose of hematocrit centrifuges is to calculate
the volume-based erythrocyte percentage in blood.
It is used to produce plasma for photometric analysis of the
bilirubin concentration of neonatal blood.
HEMATOCRIT CENTRIFUGE
26. They have a very small footprint and take up minimal room on
the workstation because of their highly compact form.
These work well with small tubes (up to 2.0 ml) and are
frequently employed in biological applications.
They are used to microfilter small amounts of aqueous samples
and hold pelleted nucleic acids, proteins from solutions, and
other substances.
MICROCENTRIFUGE
28. A high-speed centrifuge is a type of centrifuge that can work
at somewhat faster rates ranging between 15,000 and 30,000
revolutions per minute.
High-speed centrifuges contain a device for regulating both
the temperature and spedelicate biological moleculesed of the
operation for the critical analysis of.
These centrifuges employ three rotors: fixed angle, swinging
bucket, and vertical.
HIGH-SPEED CENTRIFUGE
30. These centrifuges run at their top speeds while keeping a
constant temperature.
It is used to analyze DNA, RNA, PCR, and antibodies
because its temperature range is between -20 and -40
degrees Celsius.
They are frequently used to collect sedimenting materials
quickly, including yeast cells, chloroplasts, and more
REFRIGERATED CENTRIFUGES
32. The ultracentrifuge is a highly developed and sophisticated
centrifuge that can separate tiny molecules that conventional
centrifuges can’t separate at a fast rate.
Ultracentrifuge rotor speeds can range from 60,000 to 150,000
rpm.
They run samples in groups or as continuous flow systems and
are larger.
ULTRACENTRIFUGES
33. Separation of Mixtures
Blood component separation
Analysis of Blood Samples
Immunochemical Assays
Isotope Separation
Subcellular Organelle Isolation
Nucleic Acid Extraction
USES OF CENTRIFUGE
34. Centrifugation is used to produce biological products and bulk drugs
and perform biopharmaceutical analysis of drugs.
It is applied in removing water from lettuce after washing it in a
salad spinner and separating chalk powder from water.
It is useful for separating the isotopes for nuclear weapon
programming.
Moreover, big spinning wheels are used to simulate a high-gravity
environment to practice for the pilots. Hence, these are important in
aeronautics and space.
USES OF CENTRIFUGE
35. Enclosed operation and consequently clean appearance
Quick start-up and shutdown
Easy automation and continuous operation if necessary
Low capital cost-to-capacity ratio
Quick adjustment of operating parameters
High flexibility and outstanding performance
Simple operation and easy installation
ADVANTAGES OF CENTRIFUGE
36. Before the operation, always check that the centrifuge is on a
suitable surface.
Keep the lid closed while the rotor is operating.
When the centrifuge shakes or vibrates, unplug it.
Make sure tubes work with programs and settings before
using them. The tubes used for the centrifuge should be in a set
that is matched.
Balanced neighboring and opposing loads should be used to
load tubes symmetrically. Use mass instead of volume to
balance the tubes
PRECAUTIONS OF CENTRIFUGE
37. BUNSEN BURNER
Bunsen burner is a standard tool used in laboratories,
named after Robert Bunsen. It is a gas-fueled single open
flame.
38. Working Principle
This burner is made with a metal tube on a flat base with a gas inlet at the
bottom of the tube, which may have an adjustable valve. On the sides of
the tube are openings that can be adjusted with a collar to control the
amount of air that can enter.
•Once the burner is connected to a gas source, the gas is forced by the gas
pressure so that the gas reaches the top where the flame is ignited with a
match or a lighter.
Uses
•It is commonly used for processes like sterilization, combustion, and
heating. In medical or microbiology laboratories, it is commonly used for
micro-loop sterilization
BUNSEN BURNER
40. An inoculating loop is a small, simple tool used in microbiology
laboratories for transferring or "inoculating" microorganisms from
one culture medium to another.
It consists of a small loop of platinum or nichrome wire attached
to a long, thin metal or plastic handle.
The loop is heated in a flame to sterilize it before use, and then
used to transfer a small amount of culture to a new medium.
It introduce microorganisms like bacteria or yeast into plated or
tubed growth media before incubation, multiplication, or growth.
INOCULATING LOOP
42. Inoculating loops are an essential tool in microbiology
laboratories and are used for a variety of purposes, including:
Transferring cultures
Streaking plates
Isolating pure cultures
Inoculating liquid media
USES OF INOCULATING LOOP
43. The use of platinum wire in inoculating loops and needles
facilitates their rapid heating and rapid cooling such that it saves
time as well as increases the efficiency of work.
Likewise, nickel-chrome loops possess durability and rapid
cooling following heat sterilization.
Disposable inoculating loops and needles do not require flaming
and thus eliminate the risk of infection due to the aerosol
formation of pathogenic microorganisms.
ADVANTAGES OF INOCULATING LOOPS
44. A petri dish is a small shallow transparent dish with a lid that
is mainly used in biological experiments for the culture of
cells.
PETRI DISH
45. It is derived from the name of its inventor, German bacteriologist
Julius Richard Petri, also called a Petri plate or culture plate.
Petri dishes are typically made of glass or plastic, and come in
various sizes, with diameters ranging from 35 mm to 150 mm.
The most common size is the 100 mm Petri dish.
Petri dishes have a flat bottom and a slightly raised rim, which
helps to prevent the culture from spilling.
The lid of a Petri dish is usually made of the same material as the
dish itself, and fits snugly over the rim to prevent contamination of
the culture.
PETRI DISH
46. Petri dishes are used for a variety of purposes in microbiology,
including:
Growing microorganisms: Petri dishes provide a sterile
environment in which microorganisms can be grown and studied.
Isolating microorganisms: Petri dishes can be used to isolate
individual microorganisms from a mixed culture.
Testing antimicrobial agents: Petri dishes can be used to test
the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents against microorganisms.
Performing biochemical tests: Petri dishes can be used to
perform biochemical tests on microorganisms to identify their
characteristics.
USES OF PETRI DISH
47. It provides the storage space for culturing the cells.
It also helps to avoid contamination.
It also comes in different sizes and shapes, which broadens its
application.
The transparent feature of the petri dish helps observe cells
inside it without needing to remove the lid.
Reusability after sterilization is another advantage of using a
glass petri dish
ADVANTAGES OF PETRI DISH
