BugStopper from Whatman, Inc.
Out with the old and in with the new. Progress. Change. These ideas come to mind when one first encounters the BugStopper™, a new product from Whatman, Inc. Offered as a high tech replacement for the ubiquitous cotton plugs used for sealing culture flasks, the BugStopper revolutionizes the late 19th century's cotton plug with 21st century materials and technology.

Resembling a large, hollow rubber stopper, the BugStopper is manufactured from transparent, medical-grade silicon and incorporates a microfiber filter vent. The vent is made from hydrophobic ultrafine glass microfiber media reinforced with a polyester monofilament layer and is supported in the top of the BugStopper by a stainless steel reinforcing ring. Altogether, this assembly allows for ample gas exchange into a culture flask while excluding contaminating microorganisms. According to the company, independent tests show that the BugStopper has 99.9% bacterial and viral filtration efficiency ratings. Furthermore, Whatman's...

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