Webinar
Watch our recorded webinar “Effective contamination prevention - best practices for cell culture”.
The key to cell culture
Troubleshoot common pain points of attaining accurate pH measurement and control, a critical step for any cell culture.
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Interactive infographic
Understand more about the potential impacts of cell culture contamination and plus valuable tips and links to more resources.
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Blogs
Learn about contamination challenges in a cell culture lab, and what you can do to protect your most precious cells against unplanned disasters
Centrifuges can be used in the harvesting workflow step to separate or concentrate cells or cell components. Precise temperature control and accurate centrifugal speeds are critical for this process.
CO2 incubators provide optimal conditions for cell growth, controlling temperature, humidity and CO2 levels (O2 control optional). Uniformity/recovery of parameters and contamination control are important buying considerations.
Biological safety cabinets (BSC) precisely control the airflow of the work area are essential in protecting your samples and for the safety of lab personnel. Safety and ergonomics are factors to consider when buying a BSC.
For related products and workflow solutions, please see the workflow & related products section on this page.
Equipment best practices
Whether it is to improve processes in your laboratory, extend the life of your equipment or minimize the contamination risk, we have gathered the following top tips for your cell culture equipment. Guidelines to spin your cells in centrifuges, proper care and maintenance of your CO2 incubator, cleaning routines for your Biological Safety Cabinet and more!
Centrifugation best practices
Watch the video that presents the correct usage of General Purpose Pro centrifuges for cell culture.
- General Purpose Pro centrifuge operation
- Ideal parameters for cell culture
- Choosing the right rotor
- Programming and documentation
CO2 incubator best practices
The care and maintenance of your CO₂ incubator is outlined in this technical note, including:
- Positioning and set up
- Reducing contamination
- Using the right water
- Calibration and maintenance
BSC cleaning routine*
This SmartNote on cleaning best practices for biological safety cabinets describes:
- SmartClean Plus technology
- Decontamination procedures
- Wipe/ spray disinfection
- UV disinfection
Contamination prevention
Contamination is a nightmare for every lab. With Good Cell Culture Practices, aseptic techniques, but also with advanced functionalities of our lab equipment, you can minimize the risk of contamination. Our outstanding contamination control technologies are designed to provide effective, convenient protection from microorganisms that threaten your valuable cultures.
Webinar: Exploring and preventing culture contamination
This webinar from Mary Kay Bates, Senior Global Cell Culture Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific covers:
- Different types of contamination
- How-to tips you can implement on a routine basis
- Explore methods for contamination control in your CO₂ incubator
Blog: Protecting your most precious cells against unplanned disasters
Kris Wronski, Cell Culture Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, shares his experience of working in a busy cell culture lab and key factors to minimize the risk of contamination.
Technology: Equipment features to minimize contamination
Cleanability, filtration, UV light, copper surfaces and more features help minimize contamination in your lab and protect your cells. Explore the Protection tab in the equipment features section below to learn more.
Workflow resources
From sample preparation to storage, explore the steps and all products we can support you with for your cell culture application.
From sample preparation to storage, explore the steps and all products we can support you with for your cell culture application.
Take a virtual cell culture workflow tour, dive into each product and explore it in 3D. |
Gibco cell culture basics is a repository of training sessions, videos, and other resources covering the workflow, a learning center for the basics.
Virtual reality capabilities
See equipment in a way you have never seen it before! With our virtual reality solutions, you can see equipment better than in reality. Additionally, we can support with lab design or give you a guided workflow tour.
Lab design
Looking to invest in new equipment? Our virtual tool will help you visualise it within your existing laboratory footprint helping you make the most of your available space based on Thermo Scientific equipment specifications.
Workflow solutions
A virtual experience to highlight critical laboratory product solutions at each step of selected workflows, such as Genomics and Cell Culture.
3D product tours
360-degree, spin, zoom, rotate, discover and interact with virtual laboratory equipment, including electronic pipettes, centrifuges, environmental chambers, and more.
Related instruments and equipment for cell culture
Other products that are essential in the cell culture workflow you can find below.
Automated cell counters
Experience the convenience and power of our automated cell counters designed to meet the needs of any lab. Each compact instrument offers advanced algorithms to allow you to quickly and accurately count cells from the bench.
Cold storage
Thermo Scientific Cold Storage Solutions include refrigerators to store your medium, controlled-rate freezers to freeze down cells and ULT freezers as well as cryopreservation systems to store cells.
Cell imaging benchtop microscopes
Powerful EVOS digital microscopes allow you to capture publication-quality images and data with just a few clicks. The EVOS line of products are versatile, compact and ideal for a broad range of imaging applications.
Water baths
Thermo Scientific Precision General Purpose Water Baths offer enhanced temperature uniformity and stability and are easy to clean and maintain. The water baths can be used with water or thermal beads to prevent from contamination.
Water purification systems
Thermo Scientific water purification systems offer a wide selection of purification methods, capabilities and options. For more than 130 years, Thermo Scientific lab water systems have been a trusted resource for science.
Flow cytometers
The Attune Nxt Flow Cytometer is compact, benchtop cell analyser that can be configured with up to 4 spatially separated lasers to flexibly design, run, and analyse multicolour panels of up to 14 colours.
For Biological Safety Cabinets and Incubators we offer customisation options, if you have individual requirements that are not covered by our normal model range and the various options we have for every model. In close collaboration with our customisation teams and factories we develop a tailored solution for your laboratory.
Providing technical and applications support, the European Technical Support Team answers your questions regarding equipment, consumables, liquid handling and water analysis instruments. Our scientific experts speak three languages (EN, FR, DE) and are knowledgeable in the following key application areas: cell culture, sample storage, biobanking, bioproduction, clinical, diagnostics and molecular biology.
Free services include:
- Pre and post sales product support
- Documentation support – certifications, technical drawings, user instructions
- Application support – help find the right product for your application
Indicate 'Technical support request' in the Notes section of the form — Request to be contacted by a technical expert
Thermo Fisher Scientific Financial Services offer financing solutions for equipment and software including new and used/ refurbished equipment. Empowered by BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, the contract duration ranges from 24 to 72 months.
Solutions include:
- Rent
- Lease—different programs available where you can either upgrade to new equipment after the end of the lease term or you purchase the equipment for a nominal fee
- Loans
We also offer a Total Workflow Solution Lease—equipment, consumables, service all in one for a monthly fee (contract duration minimum three years). Contact us and specify in the Notes section your interest in finance services
Whether you require support on one instrument or a whole fleet, we provide superior services and support that get you up and running faster.
Full-service support includes:
- Instrument and equipment installation, repair, and technical support
- Service plans with 50% faster response time and 30% less downtime**
- Extended warranties
- Preventive maintenance
- Compliance and calibration services
- Parts, consumables, software, and accessories
- Asset and supply management
Centrifuges
- Smart Note: “How does Auto-Lock Rotor Exchange facilitate rotor placement and improve safety, compared with traditional rotor tie-down systems?”
- Smart Note: “How can the new design of Thermo Scientific General Purpose Pro Centrifuges improve its ergonomics and ease-of-use?”
- Smart Note: “How can maximum versatility be achieved with the Thermo Scientific General Purpose Pro Centrifuge series?”
- Smart Note (touchscreen): “How can features and easier communication between the unit and the user be achieved with Thermo Scientific General Purpose Pro Centrifuges?”
- Smart Note (large-capacity centrifuges): “How is it possible to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact with production-level centrifuges?”
Watch our video how our General Purpose Centrifuges fit cell culture applications:
CO2 incubators
- Tech Note: “Proper care and maintenance for a CO2 incubator”
- Smart Note: “Which incubation parameters are most important for proper cell growth and expression?”
- Smart Note: “Why does the location of sensors in my CO2 incubator affect responses from my cultured cells?”
- Smart Note: “Why is automated heat decontamination a better solution for sterilizing my CO2 incubator than an automated chemical disinfection, such as in situ hydrogen peroxide vapor?”
- Smart Note: How can using the wrong type of water to provide in-chamber humidity cause corrosion in my CO2 incubator?
- Smart Note: Consider all CO2 incubator parameters for best cell growth
AppNotes
- "Cell Locker System segregates stem cells, protecting from contamination and enhancing environmental stability"
- “Thermo Scientific Steri-Run Sterilization Cycle Proves Total Sterilization” App Note
- “Effective Heat Sterilization in CO2 Incubators” White Paper
- “Evaluating Infrared Carbon Dioxide Sensors for 21st Century Cell Culture: Introducing the Thermo Scientific IR180Si Infrared CO2 sensor” Application Note
Cell Locker System video
Biological safety cabinets
- Smart Note: What is airflow compensation in Class II biological safety cabinet (BSC)
- Smart Note: How can I ensure my UV germicidal bulb is giving optimal performance?
- Smart Note: What is the simplest way to operate your biological safety cabinet (BSC)?
- Smart Note: What is the best way to monitor airflows in a biological safety cabinet (BSC) to provide greater assurance of performance?
- Application Note: Understanding the differences between Class II, Type A2 and Type B2 Biological Safety Cabinets
- Smart Note: Why are airflow alarms an important consideration for Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs)?
- Smart Note: Why is a dual blower system better than a single blower system?
- Smart Note: How do I extend the filter life of my biological safety cabinet (BSC)?
- Smart Note: What’s the best way to clean the Thermo Scientific Herasafe 2025 biological safety cabinet?
SmartFlow Plus technology video
* The product highlighted in the SmartNote is currently not available outside the EMEA region, however, the content also applies to similar models (e.g. Herasafe 2030i BSC).
** Internal records suggest that proactive, annual preventive maintenance can reduce the number of instrument repairs by up to 50% and decrease instrument downtime by as much as 30% when compared to ad hoc time and materials repair visits.
Style Sheet for Global Design System