2016 CO2 Incubator Survey Results

CO₂ incubators are designed to copy a cell’s natural environment with a relative humidity of around 95 percent, a temperature of 37°C, and a pH of 7.2 to 7.5. They are most common in biology labs performing tissue or cell culture and are used in any process where cells need to be cultured for a few hours or up to many weeks, as well as where cells need to be expanded or maintained.

Top 6 Questions You Should Ask When Buying an CO₂ Incubator

1. What measures have been taken in the design to avoid contamination and what features are included to remove contamination?
2. How does the CO₂ sensor contribute to optimal cell growth?
3. How does the humidity contribute to optimal cell growth?
4. Ask for the uniformity and accuracy data versus asking for a water jacket or air jacket.
5. Do you need O₂ control to simulate the environment for your experiment accurately?
6. Calculate the total cost of ownership on the product over one year including product price, install, regular cleaning labor, material like HEPA filters, etc.

Types of CO₂ incubators used by survey respondents:

Primary purpose of CO₂ incubators as reported by survey respondents:

Nearly 57% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new CO₂ incubator. The reasons for these purchases are as follows:

	Replacement of an aging system	38%
	Addition to existing systems, increase capacity	21%
	Upgrading existing equipment	15%
	Setting up a new lab	9%
	First time purchase	6%
	Other	11%

Top 10 features/factors respondents look for when purchasing CO₂ Incubator:

For more information on CO₂ incubators, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/incubators

See the latest survey results here