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Although jars have been used for anaerobic incubation for many years, studies have shown the real benefits of using a workstation*. One of these benefits, and one which grows more important as we become more environmentally-aware, is that of reduced wastage. This new workstation from Don Whitley Scientific could be the answer to stepping up from using jars to your first, cost-effective anaerobic workstation.
Despite its compact footprint, the Whitley A20 Workstation provides excellent conditions for the processing, incubation and examination of samples without exposure to atmospheric oxygen and is incredibly gas efficient.
The A20 has the same precise control of parameters as our larger workstations, ensuring the very best anaerobic conditions are maintained. Unlike when using jars, you can check your plates as often as you like and can also perform tasks inside the workstation without risk to your samples.
This workstation is equipped with two oval, multi-functional glove ports that act as mini airlocks, each capable of transferring 10 x 90mm Petri dishes as a user inserts their arms.
Features of this workstation include the full colour touchscreen, remote access, data download facility (for traceability), automatic commissioning cycle, optional single plate entry system, and the opportunity to have Anaerobic and Catalyst Conditions Monitoring.
The table below sets out some of the issues with using jars and explains how a Whitley Workstation can solve these problems.
| The problem with jars
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The solution – Whitley A20 Workstation
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| Fixed capacity of 9, 10, 12 or 48 plates
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Accommodates up to 400 x 90mm plates
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| High cost of consumables
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1 cylinder of mixed gas lasts c. 15 weeks
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| Sealed system
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Single plate entry system allows access for individual plates, anytime
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| Need to prepare plates on the bench in aerobic conditions
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Improved isolation rates with prep done in anaerobic conditions
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| Condensation
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Humidity controlled environment
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| Finite space for samples in an emergency
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400 plates can be incubated in an emergency
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| When jar is opened, conditions are lost
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Plates can be checked and sub-cultured in anaerobic conditions
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| Used catalyst needs to be heated before reuse
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Catalyst only needs to be changed annually
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| Samples may have to be left on a bench whilst enough plates are gathered to fill a jar.
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Samples can be incubated immediately – thus improving results.
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* Cost comparisons undertaken by DWS show that it is significantly cheaper to operate
a Whitley Workstation than it is to use jars (Technical Note: MA13 available on request)
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