Blog | OrbitalShakers.net

Enzymatic and Mechanical Approaches for Mammalian Tissue Dissociation

By Kim McDonald, 21 January 2025

Efficiently dissociating tissue while preserving cellular integrity is a technically challenging process, often involving a combination of mechanical and enzymatic methods to prepare single-cell suspensions. There are a variety of protocols for tissue dissociation depending on the tissue and downstream application. One popular approach is using orbital shakers or shaking water baths in combination with enzymatic digestion. Non-enzymatic approaches often involve paddle blenders, tissue grinders, or bead mills.

Linear vs. Orbital Shaking for Cell Culture.

By Miriam Carrillo, 20 January 2025

Orbital and linear (reciprocating) shakers are ideal for mixing liquids, dissolving solids, and most used in culturing cells. They ensure reliable, efficient, and controlled agitation. The purpose of shaking is to increase the availability of nutrients and to improve the oxygen transfer to gain a higher biomass compared to static incubation. Now the question is: Which one of these two works better for cell culture? Let 's dive into it.

Shaking Incubator for Bacterial Growth: What to Know

By Kim McDonald, 13 November 2023

When culturing bacteria in a shaking incubator, several factors must be considered that will impact bacterial growth, including shaking speed, temperature, growth medium, and growth vessels. These will vary depending on your application, time course, bacterial strain, expression vectors, features of your incubator, and other factors. Shaking incubators continuously introduce dissolved oxygen into the culture medium, promoting aerobic bacterial growth. Choosing the proper settings and culture conditions is essential for producing the greatest yield while minimizing cell death and recombination events.

How to Make an Orbital Shaker

By Aimee O'Driscoll, 02 June 2021

Orbital shakers are vital pieces of equipment in many labs but they can often stretch the budget. We review several sets of instructions for building your own shaker for a fraction of the cost of purchasing new equipment.

Using an Orbital Shaker Inside an Incubator

By Aimee O'Driscoll, 21 February 2020

We take a look at the factors you need to consider when using a orbital shaker inside an incubator, including temperature and humidity ranges, dimensions, and internal power.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Orbital Shaker

By Aimee O'Driscoll, 10 June 2019

We examine the most important factors to consider when purchasing an orbital shaker to help ensure that you get the right piece of equipment for your application.

Deciding Between An Incubated Orbital Shaker and a Shaking Water Bath

By Aimee O'Driscoll, 23 January 2019

We look at the differences between incubated orbital shakers and water baths to help make deciding between them more straightforward.

Possible Reasons for Temperature Issues With Your Shaker

By Aimee O'Driscoll, 04 October 2018

We discuss possible reasons for temperature issues with your incubated shaker and provide solutions to help you troubleshoot.

How Orbital Diameter and Shaker Agitation Rate Affect Bacteria Growth

By Aimee O'Driscoll, 13 June 2018

We explain how orbital diameter and shaker agitation rate affect the growth rate of cultured bacteria, and provide a formula that ties the two parameters together.

Best Practices for Using and Maintaining an Orbital Shaker

By Aimee O'Driscoll, 13 June 2018

We explain the steps for using and maintaining your orbital shaker correctly to ensure you get the best results for your application.

Pay Attention to the Orbit Diameter!

By Carlton Hoyt, 04 November 2015

When purchasing orbital shakers, it's common for buyers to underestimate the importance of orbital diameter. We explain why you need to pay attention to this feature and explain how to choose the right diameter for your needs.