Kuhner Incubator Shakers for Different Cultivation Applications
Stable and reproducible cultivation results require precisely controlled conditions. Discover the key benefits, technological solutions and application areas of Kuhner incubator shakers, from stem cells and cell cultures to the cultivation of bacteria, yeasts and algae.
Kuhner Shakers – Reliable Solutions from Research to Production
Successful laboratory cultivation processes require stable, precisely controlled and reproducible conditions. Kuhner shakers and incubator shakers combine high-quality construction with advanced technology, user-friendly operation and low energy consumption.
The unique direct drive ensures uniform and reliable shaking motion, which can be easily adapted to the specific application. The robust stainless-steel interior, efficient insulation and wide range of available options and accessories make the units suitable for a broad variety of applications, from research and development to production tasks.
In this blog post, we present the advantages of Kuhner incubator shakers, the cultivation tasks for which they can be used, and the key factors to consider when selecting the right system.
The Key Benefits of Kuhner Incubator Shakers
Reliable technology and precise control for stable, reproducible cultivation conditions.
5 Year Warranty
Kuhner provides a 5-year warranty on its shakers, reflecting the robust design, high manufacturing quality, and long-term reliability of the equipment.
Direct Drive
Maintenance-free, reliable operation with an easily adjustable shaking diameter. The direct drive reduces wear, noise, and energy consumption.
Temperature Control
Uniform temperature across the entire shaking tray, with precise control and low energy consumption to support reproducible cultivation results.
Humidity Control
Controlled humidity can significantly reduce evaporation, especially when working with microtiter plates or during longer cultivation periods in shake flasks. Kuhner systems can both humidify and dehumidify, enabling precise humidity control throughout the cultivation process.
CO₂ Control
Precise CO₂ control provides a stable and well-controlled environment for cell culture processes. The Kuhner system continuously maintains the incubator atmosphere at the set CO₂ level, supporting reliable and reproducible cultivation conditions.
O₂ Control
Precise O₂ control makes it possible to create hypoxic cultivation conditions. This is particularly important for stem cells and for microorganisms with low or minimal oxygen requirements.
Application areas & Kuhner product recommendations
Stem cells
Stem cell cultivation can take several days or even weeks and generally requires specific cultivation conditions, such as low oxygen concentrations (1–8%), high carbon dioxide concentrations (4–10%) and high relative humidity (>70%).
Stem cells are sensitive to changes in the cultivation environment, making precise and stable control of temperature, O₂ and CO₂ levels, as well as humidity, particularly important. Properly configured Kuhner incubator shakers make it possible to control these parameters and provide a stable, reproducible environment for sensitive cell culture processes. The Kuhner LT-X, for example, can be configured with CO₂, O₂ and humidity control.
Recommendation of Kuhner
Cell culture
Cultivations of animal or human cell cultures run for several days or a few weeks. Usually, for cultivations they require a high carbon dioxide concentration (4-10%) and a high relative humidity (>70%).
Cell cultures grow adherent or in suspension. Moreover, temperature shifts from 37 °C to 32 °C are often conducted during cultivations. When cultivating at a high relative humidity, this requires active dehumidifying of the incubator air to prevent condensation at the door or walls of the incubator shaker.
Yeasts & fungi
Cultivations of yeasts and fungi run for approximately 3 to 5 days. Yeasts and fungi have a higher oxygen demand than animal or human cell cultures. A higher oxygen transfer can be achieved by decreasing the filling volume and increasing the shaking frequency. Moreover, active humidity control might be helpful to reduce evaporation losses.
Filamentous fungi can increase the viscosity of the cultivation medium. In that case, large shaking diameters (50 or even 70 mm) should be chosen to prevent the occurrence of the “out-of-phase” phenomenon.
Recommendation of Kuhner
> Options & Accessories for Shakers
Bacteria
Cultivations of bacteria run for several hours or days. Bacteria usually have a much higher oxygen demand than animal or human cell cultures and often also a higher oxygen demand than yeasts or fungi. A high oxygen transfer can be achieved by small filling volumes and high shaking frequencies (300-350 rpm).
Moreover, a humidity control is helpful to prevent high evaporation losses (especially for very small filling volumes and cultivation temperatures of 30-37 °C). For very small filling volumes, large shaking diameters (50 or even 70 mm) should be chosen to prevent the occurrence of the “out-of-phase” phenomenon.
Recommendation of Kuhner
Plant cells & algae
Cultivations of plant cell cultures and algae run for approximately 5 to 7 days. The oxygen demand lies in between animal cell cultures and bacteria. For longer cultivations, active humidity control is useful to decrease evaporation from the cultivation vessels.
Many cultures require LED light for their photosynthesis reaction. Also, depending on the plant cell culture, CO2 control might be necessary.
Recommendation of Kuhner
About Kuhner
Swiss quality and more than 75 years of experience in shaking technology
Kuhner is a Swiss, family-owned company that has been developing shakers, incubator shakers and orbitally shaken bioreactors for research, biotechnology and industrial applications since 1949. The Kuhner name is associated worldwide with reliability, durable design and continuous technological development.
Kuhner places great emphasis on ensuring that its solutions can be flexibly adapted to different cultivation and research requirements. The company works closely with universities and research and development departments to continuously improve its technologies based on practical application experience.
Labokraft is the exclusive distributor of Kuhner products in Hungary. We help our customers select the right equipment and configuration, and provide support with installation, commissioning and long-term technical assistance. As an authorized factory service partner, we also provide maintenance and servicing for Kuhner equipment, giving our customers reliable local support in Hungary.