What better way to create the ideal in vivo environment, in vitro, than via CO2 incubation? In 1885, Wilhelm Roux kept the medullary plate of a chicken embryo alive for several days in saline solution. Since CO2 incubators became commercially available in the late 1960s, manufacturers have been given the opportunity to improve their incubators and introduce cell culturing to the age of high-tech biotechnology.
With numerous options available for most CO2 incubators, it is important to determine what your own laboratory requirements are before investing in a CO2 incubator. Here are a few items to keep in mind as you read about products that are available.
Size. CO2 incubators range from small (~1 cu. ft.) desktop models to larger (>30 cu. ft.), refrigerator-sized machines. Many models are available as side-by-side or stackable units (which maximize use of floor or bench space in the laboratory). Most importantly, the amount of ...
