The most critical aspect of plant tissue culture is maintaining a pollutant-free environment inside the lab. However, before you get there, you’ll have to understand what tools you’ll need. Once you have all the tools in place you should hire calibrators for your lab equipment validation.
Under this post, we’ll take a step back and look over all of the materials you might need, from the essentials to a few extras that aren’t necessary but might improve your likelihood of succeeding.
Among the most underappreciated parts of tissue culture is the necessity to construct the facility such that a high-quality substance is generated securely and practically. The majority of tissue culture is done in facilities that have been specially designed for the primary function and under less-than-ideal settings. Yet, as long as you follow a few simple criteria, the task should not be jeopardized.
A basic laboratory design
There are various factors to consider while designing a dynamic tissue culture facility. Preferably, work should be done in a single-use facility that is divided into two areas: one for receiving freshly arrived material (quarantine zone) and one for material that is confirmed to be free from impurities. If that’s not feasible, the workload is divided by duration, with all manipulation of clean material finished before manipulating the ‘quarantine’ material. Distinct incubators must be specified as well. You should also check for lab equipment validation to see if your incubators are working fine.
Furthermore, between operations, we should thoroughly clean and sanitize the countertops.
The pieces of equipment.
Let’s start from scratch: what are the essential pieces of equipment in a cell culture lab?
Essential Start-Up Tools
- two scales that measure in grams and have two decimal points.
- The pH meter
- Container
- Beakers
- Flasks
- Volumetrics
- Pipettes
- Boilers with graded diameters
Glassware (beakers, flasks, test tubes, etc.) serves as the foundation of your cell culture operations. Glassware will preserve your cultures, and we will employ individual components throughout the tests and treatments. You know that keeping a healthy and microbe-free environment is critical to an effective tissue culture operation. As a result, you should maintain your equipment clean and arranged at all times.
A highly durable Erlenmeyer flask is an integral piece of laboratory equipment. We prepare the cell culture medium in those flasks. A small volume flask and a growth jar are among the essential items of equipment.
As you build your tissue culture laboratory, the products listed here would be on your inventory of must-haves. And if you’re working on a limited budget, you’ll be OK. However, if you have some additional money or have saved up over the years, you may increase your efficiency and smooth out your procedures by adding a few more tools to your toolkit.
Consider the following items, which aren’t strictly necessary (in the strictest meaning of the word) yet are undeniably helpful.
Laminar hood flow: The laminar hood flow aids in the preservation of an antimicrobial atmosphere. Using its cover, you can keep any contaminated particles or droplets contained throughout biological processes. We classify laminar hood flows into three types:
Class I, Class II, and Class III. Based on the requirements of your study or facility, they all perform a distinct role.
Class I: This type of laminar flow hood should shield both the workplace area and the lab employees from contaminants. Evidently, any laminar hood will have to be accompanied by the required microbiological protocols, along with antimicrobial circumstances. Class I hoods do not protect from contamination happening within a culture.
Class II: We have developed this flow hood category for investigations with BSL-1, 2, and 3 substances. Because they generate and maintain an aseptic atmosphere, class II hoods are utilized for cell cultivation. If you engage with dangerous substances, having a biosafety cabinet available will help you handle them appropriately. Mutagenic and carcinogenic reagents, virally contaminated cultures, primate-derived mediums, and radioscopes are examples of potentially hazardous items.
Class III: Class III is by far the most secure and gas-tight. We use these in the labs that work with BSL-4 substances, such as potential pathogens.
Machine for autoclaving:
We use an autoclave device to sterilize several things. The gadget will generate pressured steam to kill bacteria, fungus, and viruses.
Another handy accessory to your lab is a refrigerator for storing samples.
Other Items You Should Have in Your Arsenal
PPMTM (Plant Preservative Combination): PPMTM is a plant preservation mixture. It is a liquefied composition that is one of the instruments you may employ to increase your likelihood of developing a healthy colony.
As it is a wide-spectrum biocide, vegetation never genetically evolves in reaction to it, and it can eradicate and inhibit both fungal and bacterial pollutants.
Gelling agent (agar, gellan gum):
As one of your necessities, you’ll need a gelling agent. If you want to utilize gellan gum or agar, you can find both at Biotechnical Services Inc. Agar and Gelatin are equivalent in many respects, yet there are a few critical distinctions.
You may learn more about those distinctions by talking to one of our professionals at Biotechnical Services. The transparency of gellan gum differs significantly from that of agar; gellan gum is more transparent, while agar is denser.
For all your lab equipment validation needs or consultation, feel free to contact our experts at Biotechnical Services.
