Multi-Cultivators
Precise Phototrophic Cultivation of Algae and Cyanobacteria
About...

Multi-Cultivator MC 1000-OD is intended for small-scale screening experiments of phototrophic organisms as algae, cyanobacteria and plant cells. Also other microorganisms, for example heterotrophic bacteria and yeast grown in suspension, may enjoy this type of cultivator. The special design of the instrument allows to run fast comparison studies of various organisms, mutants or cultivation conditions.

Key Features

  • Cultivation of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms grown in suspension
  • Parallel or multi-variant screening experiments in 8 independent vessels
  • Independent illumination and OD monitoring (680 and 720 nm) for each vessel
  • Standard white LED illumination

  • Color illumination in multi- or mix- version (up to 8 colors
    in each cultivation slot)
  • Uniform temperature and aeration control for all vessels
  • Various cultivation strategies (batch, turbidostatic)
  • Online software control


Multi-Cultivator MC 1000-OD


Multi-Cultivator MC 1000-OD is intended for small-scale screening experiments of phototrophic organisms as algae, cyanobacteria and plant cells. Also other microorganisms, for example heterotrophic bacteria and yeast grown in suspension, may enjoy this type of cultivator. The special design of the instrument allows to run fast comparison studies of various organisms, mutants or cultivation conditions.

Cultivation Vessels


  • 8 round glass testing tubes, each holding up to ca. 80 ml of cultivated suspension. The tube diameter is 27 mm.
  • Silicone inert stopper with aeration input and waste output.
  • Glass Aeration Tubes (standard) or Stainless-Steel Aeration Tubes (optional) that are easier and safer in manipulation.
  • Autoclavable design.
  • Humidifier for a moistening of the sparging air to avoid an increased medium evaporation from the testing tubes.
  • Three-Way Sampling Valve (optional) for culture sampling through the aeration tubing. Non-autoclavable.

Glass testing tubesGlass testing tubes
Silicone inert stopperSilicone inert stopper
Three-Way Sampling ValveThree-Way Sampling Valve


Thermoregulation


  • Thermostated waterbath nesting 8 testing tubes.
  • The waterbath temperature is regulated via integrated heater and cooling coil. Cooling coil must be connected with the external Cooling Unit (optional accessory) to provide cooling.
  • Temperature range:
    • • ca. 5 to 10°C above the ambient temperature (depending on light intensity) up to 60 °C (standard);

    • 15 – 60 °C with the Cooling Unit AC-710 (optional).

  • The temperature of Multi-Cultivator without the Cooling Unit fluctuates depending on the ambient temperature.
  • Homogeneous temperature among all tubes and also in their vertical profile is ensured by the immersion of the whole tubes in the waterbath and by sufficient water mixing.
  • PWM Pump for an automatic water refilling into the thermostated waterbath during the high-temperature or long-term cultivation (optional).


Illumination


  • LED technology.
  • Illumination is independently adjustable for each testing tube in intensity, timing and modulation.
  • Illumination up to 1,000 µmol.m-2.s-1 (optionally up to 2,500 µmol.m-2.s-1 with the Light Upgrade - only for white versions).
  • Single color version: cool white (standard); warm white, 450, 475, 530, 615, 660, 730 nm (optional)
  • Multi-color version (single color slots): 405, 450, 475, warm white, 530, 615, 660, 730 nm. Intensity: up to 1,000 µmol.m-2.s-1
  • Mix-color version (mixed color slots): 405, 450, 475, warm white, 530, 615, 660, 730 nm. Intensity: up to 2,500 µmol.m-2.s-1 , i.e. around 300 µmol.m-2.s-1 per color per slot. Warm white color is represented by two LED circuits and thus the intensity of warm white goes up to 600 µmol.m-2.s-1 per color per slot. Computer control for this version is requested because of Prototocol setiings (Control Unit with Software must be ordered).
  • Constant light conditions or the alternation of various light and dark cycles.
  • The duration of the individual cycles: from minutes up to days.
  • The mode of the light cycles: constant, linear increase or decrease, sinusoid mode for simple imitation of diurnal rhythms. Moreover, java scripting is incorporated in the Photobioreactor Control Software (advanced version, optional) for a creation of the advanced light protocols (for example automatic light intensity adjustment in dependence on the actual biomass concentration).
  • Protective Front Cover that prevents cultivated samples to be influenced by an unwanted external light (sunshine etc.).
  • The illumination panel built into in the Multi-Cultivator is not replaceable.

NOTE: The lights are calibrated with a spherical sensor that is placed in the top third of the testing tube just in the middle. The light path of the testing tube is 27 mm.



Aeration System


  • Aeration system provides sufficient mixing and also air/CO2 supply to cultures across the entire water column.
  • The air source: a small aeration pump providing total air flow rate around 1,100 ml / min.
  • Manually adjustable valve manifold that distributes the air into individual testing tubes.
  • Glass Aeration Tubes (standard) or Stainless-Steel Aeration Tubes (optional) that are easier and safer in manipulation.
  • The aeration is interrupted during the OD measurement automatically to avoid interference of the aeration bubbles with the OD measurement. The release of the residual air from the system is facilitated by the inbuild backpressure valve.
  • Incorporated module for connection of the compressed air/gas through Parker Prestolok (6 mm) connector.
  • Optionally, Multi-Cultivator can be linked to the Gas Mixing System GMS 150 that provides precise concentration and flow rate of the required gases. For more information see our website about the Gas Mixing System GMS 150.


OD Monitoring


  • OD 680 and 720 nm are measured automatically and independently for each testing tube.
  • The optical path of the measurement is 27 mm.
  • OD 720 measures light scattering on particles and can serve as a proxy for biomass growth whereas OD 680 is linked to the chlorophyll absorption and can be used for an estimation of chlorophyll concentration.
  • The optical density is periodically measured and the data are stored in the Multi-Cultivator internal memory. Stored data may later be downloaded to a PC and displayed in graphs or exported to TXT or Excel files via the provided OD View program.
  • Moreover, the Photobioreactor Control Software (optional) enables remote online visualization of recorded data in real-time. The software allows to fit the OD data with the various regression functions to facilitate the evaluation of the actual growth rate.


Turbidostatic Cultivation


  • Turbidostatic Module (optional): controls the biomass concentration (turbidity) via OD 680 or OD 720 in each vessel independently. The OD can be maintained at a constant level or within a preset range depending on the experimental aim.
  • Special silicon stoppers with an additional port for medium fed in.
  • The flow rate of the peristaltic pump feeding in the medium runs between 0.2 – 50 ml/min and is adjustable for each test vessel independently. Just one medium reservoir for all cultivation vessels can be used.
  • Culture volume is kept constant by a passive medium overflow.
  • The module includes its own aeration pump that is more powerful compared to the standard air pump and thus can provide sufficient power to aerate the entire system properly.
  • The Photobioreactor Control Software must be ordered to operate the Turbidostatic module.

Turbidostatic ModuleTurbidostatic Module
Stopper for turbidostatic cultivationStopper for turbidostatic cultivation
Stopper for turbidostatic cultivationStopper for turbidostatic cultivation



Photobioreactor Control Software


    Optionally, the entire Multi-Cultivator system and all its cultivation and monitoring functions (light, temperature, optical density, turbidostatic cultivation, and aeration gas) can be controlled via the Photobioreactor Control Software. The control software provides intuitive and dynamic interface for online monitoring and visualization of all measured data as well as creation of user-defined protocols. For more details see our website about the Photobioreactor Control Software.



Applications


  • High-throughput screening in multi-tubes experimental design
  • Bioprospecting of natural populations
  • Different organisms and mutants testing and comparing
  • Optimization of diverse cultivation conditions as nutrients, illumination, etc.
  • Regulatory profiling of algae
  • Growth dynamics monitoring
  • Optimizing yield of end-product
  • Toxicity tests


Multi-Cultivator Versions

Three different versions of Multi-Cultivator-1000-OD are offered: standard, multi and mix. They differ in the illumination; other features are identical. Please note that the illumination panel built into in the Multi-Cultivator is not replaceable.

Version Standard Intensity /
Light Upgrade		 Specification Description Light Colors
MC 1000-OD
STANDARD		 1,000 / 2,500
µmol.m-2.s-1		 single color slot identical light color
for all slots		 cool white (standard);
warm white, 450, 475, 530,
615, 660, 730 nm (optional)
MC 1000-OD
MULTI		 1,000 µmol.m-2.s-1 single color slot different light color for
each slot (one slot / 1 color)		 405, 450, 475, warm white,
530, 615, 660, 730 nm
MC 1000-OD
MIX		 2,500 µmol.m-2.s-1 mixed color slot combination of 8 light
colors / each slot		 405, 450, 475, 2 x warm white,
530, 615, 660, 730 nm


Multi-Cultivator MC 1000-OD

Standard single color version (usually cool white, optional colors for single-color device version: warm white, red 635 nm, blue 470 nm).

Illumination intensity up to 1,000 µmol.m-2.s-1 (optionally up to 2,500 µmol.m-2.s-1 with the Light Upgrade).

Multi-Cultivator MC 1000-OD-MULTI


Multi-color device version. It is equipped with 8 test tubes; each tube being illuminated by light of different wavelength.

Available colors (single color slots): UV-violet 405 nm, royal blue 450 nm, blue 470 nm, warm white, green 540 nm, yellow-orange 590 nm, deep red 660 nm, far red 730 nm. Illumination intensity up to 1,000 µmol.m-2.s-1. The setup may be customized according to customer's specific needs.

Multi-Cultivator MC 1000-OD-MIX


This instrument version allows combining up to 8 different LED colors within each cultivation slot. Each color in each slot can be individually controlled and thus customized spectra may be defined by the user.

Available colors (mix-color slots): UV-violet 405 nm, royal blue 450 nm, blue 475 nm, 2 x warm white, green 530 nm, red-orange 615 nm, deep red 660 nm, far red 730 nm. Illumination intensity up to 2,500 µmol.m-2.s-1 (i.e. a 300 µmol.m-2.s-1 for each color / slot).
Warm white color is represented by two LED circuits and thus the warm white intensity comes up to 600 µmol. m-2. s-1 per color per slot.

Computer control for this version is requested (Control Unit with Software must be ordered).

NOTE: Wavelengths in nanometers show illustrative maximum peak values, but spectral coverage is wider for each color. The maximum peak values can differ slightly.

[h1]Documents[/h1] [list] [*][b] Multi-Cultivator Manual (pdf)[/b] [*][b] Turbidostat Manual (pdf)[/b] [*][b]AC-710 Cooling Unit Manual (pdf)[/b] [*][b] OD View Manual (pdf)[/b] [*][b] Technical specification (pdf)[/b] [/list] [h1]Software[/h1] [list] [*][b][url=/documents/MC_OD_view3.5.zip] OD View 3.5 (zip)[/url][/b] [/list] [h1]Promotional Materials[/h1] [list] [*][b] Photobioreactors leaflet (pdf)[/b] [*][b] MultiCultivator - MIX leaflet (pdf)[/b] [/list] [h1]Video[/h1] [list] [*][b] video MC - tutorial (mp4)[/b] [/list]

Multicolor MC1000 OD MIX

MC turbidostat

Aeration tutorial
Multi-Cultivator Software

Pricing


Basic configuration

Version Characteristics Price
Multi-Cultivator
MC 1000-OD
Single color version with cool white illumination. Algal cultivator with 8 testing tubes and automatic optical density monitoring (OD 680 and 720 nm). Controlled parameters are light, temperature, and aeration. Included is also the module for air/gas connection (valve + connectors; for tubing 6 mm in diameter).
 5,950 €
Multi-Cultivator
MC 1000-OD-WW
Single color version with warm white illumination. Algal cultivator with 8 testing tubes and automatic optical density monitoring (OD 680 and 720 nm). Controlled parameters are light, temperature, and aeration. Included is also the module for air/gas connection (valve + connectors; for tubing 6 mm in diameter).
 6,190 €
Multi-Cultivator
MC 1000-OD-MULTI
Multi-color device version covering spectrum from 405 nm to 730 nm. Equipped with 8 test tubes; each tube being illuminated by light of different wavelength. Controlled parameters: light, temperature, aeration, and OD 680 and 720 nm. Includes module for air/gas connection.
 6,990 €
Multi-Cultivator
MC 1000-OD-MIX
Multi-color device version covering spectrum from 405 nm to 730 nm. This instrument version allows combining up to 8 different LED colors within each cultivation slot. Each color in each slot can be individually controlled and thus customized spectra may be programmed by the user. Controlled parameters: light, temperature, aeration, and OD 680 and 720 nm. Included is also the module for air/gas connection (valve + connectors; for tubing 6 mm in diameter). Computer control for this version is requested (Control Unit with Software must be ordered).
8,590 €


Optional accessories

FMT 150/MC 1000 Control Unit
with Software Version BASIC *
Includes control unit (notebook with LCD, integrated keyboard and mouse) + BASIC version software for FMT 150/MC 1000 control,
user-defined protocol writing, data collection, and visualization in tables or graphs.
 2,689 €
FMT 150/MC 1000 Control Unit
with Software Version ADVANCED *
Includes control unit (notebook with LCD, integrated keyboard, and mouse) + ADVANCED version software for FMT 150/MC 1000
user-defined protocol writing, data collection, and visualization in tables or graphs.
 3,229 €
Light Upgrade for Multi-Cultivator
Enables reaching maximum intensity of illumination for each cultivation tube up to 2,500 µmol.m-2.s-1 Not available for multi- and mix-color device versions.
639 €
AC-710 Cooling Unit
Enables reduction of the temperature in the water reservoir if compared to the ambient air temperature. At laboratory temperature around 22 °C, the temperature of the water bath can be lowered down to 15 °C with resolution of +/- 1 °C. This accessory is also valuable when high light intensities are required for cultivation as some heating of the water bath will occur from the high output of LED light. The unit is supplied with water pump AC 710, water chiller and connecting parts.
 1,390 €
AC-710 Cooling Unit - Version 110 V/60 Hz
AC-710 Cooling Unit that is intended for 110V and 60Hz AC electricity. It enables reduction of the temperature in the water reservoir if compared to the ambient air temperature. At laboratory temperature around 22 °C, the temperature of the water bath can be lowered down to 15 °C with resolution of +/- 1 °C. This accessory is also valuable when high light intensities are required for cultivation as some heating of the water bath will occur from the high output of LED light. The unit is supplied with water pump AC 710, water chiller and connecting parts.
 1,390 €
Turbidostat Module TS-1100
Turbidostat Module is equipped with 8 valves and thus can serve all 8 testing tubes with independent control to each tube. Turbidostat is fully software controlled.
 3,880 €
Gas Mixing System GMS 150
High-precision gas mixing system includes two channels: Channel 1 for Air-N2; Channel 2 for CO2. Maximum total flow is 2 L.
9,390 €
Gas Mixing System GMS 150-MICRO
GMS 150-MICRO serves for precise gas mixing. It includes two channels (channel 1 for Air-N2; channel 2 for CO2). Preferably it is intended for use with MC and small PBR. Maximum total flow is 2L.
6,490 €
PWM Water Pump
Serves for automatic water refill to the water reservoir when the water level drops below the required level as detected by the water level sensor. Primarily, PWM Pump is recommended when high cultivation temperature is required in the water reservoir and faster water evaporation occurs.
 735 €
Set of 10 Stainless-Steel Aeration Tubes *
One set includes 10 stainless-steel tubes used for aeration in the Multi-Cultivator tubes. The tubes are made from stainless steel and they are autoclavable. Being easier and safer in manipulation, they may replace the standard glass tubes.
 70 €
Set of 10 Three-Way Valves *
The valve serves for sterile culture sampling during cultivation.
 38 €


Spare components

Glass Test Tube for Cultivation *
Glass test tube used for cultivation the Multi-Cultivator.
 5.4 €
Set of 8 Standard Silicone Plugs *
Set of 8 silicone plugs for cultivation tubes; standard plug
is equipped with two inlets.
 55 €
Set of 8 Silicone Plugs with Additional Medium Inlet *
Set of 8 silicone plugs for cultivation tubes. The plug is equipped with three inlets; the additional medium inlet comes with a short metal tube. The plug is suitable for the turbidostatic cultivation.
 75 €
Set of 20 Glass Aeration Tubes *
One set includes 20 long glass tubes used for aeration in the Multi-Cultivator test tubes.
 27 €
Spare Gas Dispenser
Spare gas dispenser with 8 valves, luer connections and tubing.
 529 €
Spare Part Kit SPK1-MC *
Kit includes: 9 glass test tubes, 20 long glass aeration tubes, 8 short Teflon tubes, and 8 silicone plugs.
 100 €
Spare Part Kit SPK2-MC *
Extended kit version includes: 9 glass test tubes, 20 long glass aeration tubes, 8 short Teflon tubes, 8 silicone plugs, silicone tubing 3/6 (6 m) and 5/8 (2 m), 1 air filter, 4 luer connector sets (8 tube fittings, 2 luer lock rings, 10 male luer lock rings, 10 female luer threads).
 189 €
Spare Part Kit for
Turbidostat Module TS-1100 *
The Kit includes: 25M Silicone tube 2/5, 3M TYGON 3350 1.6/3.2mm, 6PCS NORPRENE A-60-F 4/6mm, 8PCS Silicone plug with medium inlet, 2PCS Silicone ring 27x 42x 2mm, 1 PC Minisart filter, 1PC Metal lid with ports, 18PCS Luer connector FTLL210-J1A, 4PCS Luer connector FTLL240-J1A, 16PCS Luer connector MTLL210-J1A, 4PCS Luer connector MTLL240-J1A, 14PCS Tee tube fitting T220-J1A, 20PCS Aeration glass tubing (230mm), 1PC Screw cap GL45.
 315 €
Protective Front Cover
Black metal cover, which can easily be installed on the front part of the MC, gives protection against excessive LED radiation.
 90 €
Additional Protective Glasses *
Radiation safety glasses protecting against excessive LED radiation – equipped with side cover and protective filters. One pair of glasses is provided with the device free of charge.
 25 €

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