Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field driven by innovation in cell biology, genetic engineering, protein science, and bio-manufacturing. The laboratory equipment used in this domain is fundamental to enabling safe, efficient, and scalable research and production. Companies like Zhi Chu specialize in developing reliable biotechnology lab equipment to support these advancements.
Each equipment type plays a critical and specialized role:
Shaker incubators support high-throughput microbial and cell culture for recombinant protein and plasmid production.
CO₂ incubators provide the ideal environment for mammalian cell growth, essential for biologics and gene therapy research.
Biological safety cabinets protect both operator and samples during aseptic procedures involving GMOs or viral vectors.
Laminar flow benches ensure sterile conditions during media preparation and molecular assays.
Bioreactors scale up biotech processes, enabling mass production of vaccines, enzymes, antibodies, and more.
Chillers stabilize sensitive instruments and processes, maintaining reproducibility in temperature-dependent workflows.
Ultrasonic cell disruptors efficiently release intracellular contents, crucial for protein extraction, DNA/RNA purification, and nanoparticle formulation.
This wide range of biotech laboratory equipment is essential for comprehensive laboratory operations.
1. Shaker Incubator
Function: Orbital shaking combined with temperature control; enables aerobic cultivation in flasks or microplates.
Key Biotechnology Applications:
Recombinant protein production: Cultivation of engineered E. coli, Pichia pastoris, or Bacillus for expression of enzymes, antibodies, or proteins.
Synthetic biology: Growing genetically modified organisms with inserted DNA circuits for biosensor or biofuel development.
Plasmid amplification: High-yield growth of transformed bacterial strains before plasmid extraction.
Starter cultures for fermentation: Seed culture growth in shake flasks before scale-up to bioreactors.
Screening & optimization: Used in DoE (design of experiments) to evaluate strain productivity, pH, media, temperature, or feeding strategies.
Used By: Molecular biology labs, biomanufacturing pilot plants, academic and biotech startups.
These applications highlight the indispensable role of biotech lab equipment in modern research.
2. Incubator (Standard & CO₂)
Function: Maintains precise environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, and CO₂ for pH balance in media). This type of equipment is a fundamental part of essential biotech lab equipment.
Key Biotechnology Applications:
Adherent cell culture: Cultivation of mammalian cell lines (e.g., CHO, HEK293, Vero) for monoclonal antibody, gene therapy vector, or vaccine production.
Stem cell culture: Incubation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or mesenchymal stem cells for regenerative medicine research.
Transfection & gene editing: Incubating cells during CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing or viral vector transduction.
Assay incubation: For ELISA, cell viability, reporter gene expression, or metabolic assays during biotech R&D.
Used By: Cell biology labs, gene therapy developers, tissue engineering researchers.
3. Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) – Class II
Function: Provides a sterile and safe working environment for handling biological materials, protecting the product, operator, and lab environment. This is a crucial application of biotech laboratory equipment.
Key Biotechnology Applications:
Aseptic handling: Critical for sterile media prep, cell passaging, and working with genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Viral vector production: Safe manipulation of lentivirus, AAV, adenovirus in gene therapy and vaccine development.
Cell banking & QC: Ensuring contamination-free expansion and testing of master cell banks (MCBs) and working cell banks (WCBs).
Tissue engineering: Scaffold seeding or primary cell isolation under sterile conditions.
Used By: GMP labs, gene editing facilities, biotech QC labs.
4. Laminar Flow Bench (LAF)
Function: Provides particle-free airflow for sample protection, but not operator protection (used for non-hazardous tasks).
Key Biotechnology Applications:
Media & reagent preparation: Ensures sterile conditions when preparing culture media, reagents, or buffers.
Plate pouring & streaking: For microbial work like antibiotic screening or colony isolation.
Assembly of clean components: Like microfluidic devices, assay cartridges, or biochip setups.
PCR prep: Used to prevent amplicon contamination during PCR setup in molecular labs.
Used By: Research labs, molecular diagnostics companies, academic biotechnology centers.
These applications illustrate the diverse utility of essential biotechnology lab equipment for maintaining sample integrity and process sterility.
5. Bioreactor (Benchtop to Pilot Scale)
Function: Enables high-density cultivation of cells or microorganisms under precise control (pH, DO, temperature, agitation).
Key Biotechnology Applications:
Cell culture-based biologics: CHO or HEK cell lines cultured in bioreactors for monoclonal antibody and protein drug production.
Fermentation: Microbial production of biosimilars, enzymes, bioplastics, biofuels, or specialty chemicals.
Stem cell expansion: Automated and scalable stem cell proliferation under controlled environments.
Process development: Bioprocess optimization for scalability and reproducibility, including fed-batch and perfusion cultures.
Used By: CDMOs, upstream bioprocess teams, synthetic biology companies, vaccine developers.
6. Chiller / Recirculating Cooling System
Function: Maintains low, stable temperatures for instruments or bioprocess systems.
Key Biotechnology Applications:
Bioreactor temperature control: Prevents overheating during intense cell growth or fermentation.
Cold chain support: Used with lyophilizers, centrifuges, and other devices requiring stable cooling.
Enzyme stability: Maintains low temperature during purification steps involving temperature-sensitive biomolecules.
PCR, electrophoresis cooling: Ensures consistent thermal conditions during long gel runs or nucleic acid amplification.
Used By: Protein purification labs, formulation groups, upstream/downstream bioprocess teams.
7. Ultrasonic Cell Disruptor (Sonicator)
Function: Uses ultrasonic energy to break open cells via cavitation, releasing intracellular contents.
Key Biotechnology Applications:
Protein extraction: Breaks microbial or mammalian cells for recovery of expressed proteins.
DNA/RNA isolation: Lyses cells and tissues for genomic applications.
Nanoparticle formation: Assists in emulsification and dispersion of liposomes or polymer-based drug delivery systems.
Chromatin shearing: For ChIP-seq or other epigenetic studies.
Vaccine antigen preparation: Disrupts bacterial/viral particles to extract immunogenic components.
Used By: Molecular biology, nanomedicine, protein R&D labs, genomic research units.
English
