Biological culture growth

Application examples

In recent years, anaerobic culture growth mixtures have found many applications in microbiology, biotechnology and genetics research. They can promote the growth of specific bacterial strains such as methanogens in fermentation broths. Aerobic mixtures can also be used in these life science R&D applications.

Aerobic growth mixtures with oxygen concentrations below the 21% level found in ambient air are used in IVF applications for embryo storage. The reduced oxygen levels in the storage chamber increase fertility rates.

Culture growth gas mixtures are often used in clinical and hospital environments, but they are not breathed by patients and are therefore not classified in the same way as therapeutic breathing gases such as medical oxygen.

Product selection information

Aerobic and anaerobic culture growth mixtures are generally supplied in large cylinders to ensure sufficient continuous supply to the incubator. Some of the gas mixtures in this category are sometimes referred to as incubator gas mix or IVF gas mixture. An automatic changeover manifold is common to ensure uninterrupted switch over between empty and full cylinders.

These gas mixtures are normally supplied without a certificate of analysis because they are not used to calibrate analytical instrumentation.

These specialty gases products are manufactured under strict quality control regimes including rigorous cylinder preparation to remove any potential contaminants that might interfere with the culture growth.

The use of industrial or welding gas mixtures with similar compositions is absolutely not recommended for culture growth applications due to the risk of contamination of the culture growth medium with traces of undesirable gases.

Example aerobic culture growth mixtures for IVF

• 5% Carbon dioxide, balance oxygen
• 5% Carbon dioxide, 5% oxygen, balance nitrogen

Typical aerobic culture growth mixtures for incubators

• 6% Carbon dioxide, 5% Oxygen, balance nitrogen

Additional example aerobic culture growth mixtures

• 2.5% Carbon dioxide, 21% oxygen, balance nitrogen
• 5% Carbon dioxide, 21% oxygen, balance nitrogen

These two products are also known as:

• 2.5% Carbon dioxide, balance air
• 5% Carbon dioxide, balance air

Example anaerobic culture growth mixtures

• 5% Carbon dioxide, balance nitrogen
• 3% Hydrogen, balance carbon dioxide
• 5% Carbon dioxide, 5% hydrogen, balance nitrogen
• 5% Carbon dioxide, 10% hydrogen, balance nitrogen
• 10% Carbon dioxide, 10% hydrogen, balance nitrogen

Mix on site

It is also possible to mix pure gases on site using a gas blender to create the required concentrations. In these cases, medical or high purity specialty gases grades of the pure gases would be recommended.