Shake Flask Technology

Abstract

For more than 150 years, shake flasks are used in research and development as reaction chambers for chemical and microbiological reactions. An uncountable number of experiments has been performed in shake flasks—a suitable tool for laboratory scale—and, therefore, a lot of data and knowledge was achieved. Owing to its simple but advantageous design, the shake—also called Erlenmeyer—flask represents an appropriate tool for cultivation of biomass in biotechnological laboratories. Recently, more engineering efforts have been performed to describe conditions in shake flasks such as gas transfer or power consumption. Further innovative approaches were developed to either enable larger shaking systems for production or monitor growth‐related parameters online, and at line. Moreover, disadvantages of this technology such as less regulation and controlling possibilities or limitations in gassing/degassing have to be taken into account. The focus of this article is to give fundamental information about the most important issues in shake flask technology for biotechnological applications. Starting with a short historical introduction, the authors highlight the most commonly used types of different flask and closure types, volumes, etc. Subsequently, functions and the introduction of important shaking‐related parameters such as shaking diameter and shaking frequency are given. Before ending up with the innovative potential of modern investigations concerning this significant technology, advantages and disadvantages of shake flask applications are discussed.

Computational Fluid Dynamics for Advanced Characterisation of Bioreactors Used in the Biopharmaceutical Industry – Part II: Case Studies

“…There are different designs of the most common system, the shake flask, be it in shape (Erlenmeyer, Fernbach, Thomson, etc. ), sensor installation, diameter of the flask, the neck, or in the material (various plastics and borosilicate glass) [26][27][28][29]. In addition to the obvious parameters such as filling height and shaking rate, often neglected aspects such as the shaking amplitude or the contact angle of the material, which depends on the material properties (hydrophilic or hydrophobic), have a decisive influence on the oxygen transfer rate and the power input [30].…”

Gas supply apparatus using rotational motion of shaking incubator for flask culture of aerobic microorganisms

“…Shake flask cultivation has stood as an indispensable experimental tool in bioprocess research and industrialization [ 1 ]. Beyond its role in preparing seed cultures prior to main fermentation, flask cultivation finds wide‐ranging applications in small‐scale cultures aimed at strain screening, media design, and exploring various fermentation parameters [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

Improved Time Resolved KPI and Strain Characterization of Multiple Hosts in Shake Flasks Using Advanced Online Analytics and Data Science

“…Strain/cell line and medium characterization are still most frequently performed in shake flasks, justified by their low costs, ease of use, and ability to be run in parallel [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. This removes the complex preparation requirements of traditional bioreactors as well as the high costs of using stirred single-use systems with control units [ 22 ].…”