
The TUNAIR™ Polypropylene Erlenmeyer Flask Systems
The TUNAIR™ Polypropylene Erlenmeyer Flask Systems are a unique and patented flask and closure system, specifically designed for microbiology and biotechnology applications. This system provides optimal growth conditions for aerobic microorganisms, mammalian cells, and plant cells. Compared to standard Erlenmeyer flasks, the TUNAIR™ system significantly enhances culture growth and productivity, making it an essential tool for research and industrial applications.
One of the key advantages of the TUNAIR™ system is its high oxygen absorption rate. This feature is achieved through a unique baffled flask design and a turbo-vane closure, both of which maximize the availability of dissolved oxygen within the culture medium. This design is particularly beneficial for applications requiring high oxygen transfer rates, such as microbial fermentation, cell culture expansion, and bioprocess optimization.
Enhanced Aeration and Mixing Efficiency
The TUNAIR™ Full-Baffle Shake Flask is engineered with six baffles that generate a propeller-like motion during shaking. This design significantly improves aeration and mixing efficiency, ensuring uniform distribution of nutrients and oxygen throughout the culture. The increased turbulence enhances mass transfer rates, leading to higher cell densities and improved metabolic activity. Unlike conventional Erlenmeyer flasks, which often suffer from limited oxygen transfer and uneven mixing, the baffled flask design ensures that microbial and cell cultures experience consistent aeration. This is particularly beneficial for organisms that require high oxygen levels, such as bacteria, yeast, and certain types of mammalian cells. The improved oxygen transfer and homogeneity in the culture environment result in superior growth kinetics and increased yields.
High-Quality Polypropylene Construction
The TUNAIR™ Erlenmeyer Flask Systems are constructed from durable polypropylene, a material known for its excellent chemical resistance and long-term stability. This ensures that the flasks can withstand exposure to a wide range of solvents and reagents commonly used in microbiology and biotechnology labs. The polypropylene construction also provides superior thermal stability, allowing the flasks to be used in temperature-controlled environments without degradation. Additionally, the polypropylene material is autoclavable, making sterilization simple and effective. This is crucial for maintaining aseptic conditions in sensitive biological experiments. The robustness of the material ensures that these flasks can be reused multiple times without compromising performance, making them a cost-effective choice for laboratories.
Optimized for Scalability and Reproducibility
One of the primary challenges in microbiological and biotechnological research is maintaining reproducibility across multiple experiments. The TUNAIR™ Polypropylene Erlenmeyer Flask Systems address this challenge by offering a standardized and optimized design that ensures consistent results. Whether used for small-scale research or large-scale bioprocess development, these flasks provide a reliable platform for cultivating microorganisms and cells with high reproducibility. The baffled flask design also makes scaling up cultures more efficient. Since the enhanced aeration and mixing properties are maintained across different flask sizes, researchers can confidently transition from small-scale experiments to larger production volumes without significant changes in culture conditions. This feature is particularly valuable for biopharmaceutical production, enzyme manufacturing, and other industrial applications where process consistency is critical.
Easy Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning and maintaining laboratory equipment are essential for ensuring the integrity of biological experiments. The TUNAIR™ Erlenmeyer Flask Systems are designed for easy cleaning and maintenance. The flasks can be cleaned by soaking them in water with a mild detergent solution to remove dirt and contaminants. After rinsing, they can be air-dried and stored for future use. Since the flasks are made from chemically resistant polypropylene, they do not absorb contaminants, ensuring that residues from previous experiments do not interfere with new cultures. This feature is particularly useful for laboratories that handle diverse microbial strains and require stringent cleaning protocols to prevent cross-contamination.
Flask Cap Design and Versatility
The TUNAIR™ two-piece cap assemblies are constructed of high-quality polypropylene, ensuring durability and resistance to most solvents. These flask caps provide an effective seal while allowing proper gas exchange, making them essential for maintaining optimal culture conditions. Designed for repeated use, all flasks and caps are fully autoclavable, ensuring sterility between uses. The filter linings within the flask cap can also be autoclaved or easily replaced, allowing researchers to maintain contaminant-free environments for sensitive biological cultures. The versatility of the TUNAIR™ flask cap design makes it an excellent choice for applications requiring controlled aeration and secure containment.
The two-piece flask caps are available in 300 ml and 2.5-liter sizes, providing flexibility for different experimental scales. These flask caps contribute to the overall efficiency of the TUNAIR™ system by enhancing aeration while preventing contamination. Their construction ensures longevity, reducing the need for frequent replacements. Researchers working in microbiology, biotechnology, and cell culture applications will appreciate the reliability and convenience that these flask caps offer.
Applications in Microbiology and Biotechnology
The TUNAIR™ Erlenmeyer Flask Systems are ideal for a wide range of applications in microbiology and biotechnology. They are frequently used in microbial fermentation, where the baffled flask design enhances oxygen transfer, making them ideal for growing high-density bacterial and yeast cultures used in fermentation research and industrial bioprocessing. The increased aeration and mixing also support the growth of suspension-adapted mammalian and plant cells, making these flasks suitable for tissue engineering and plant biotechnology applications. Researchers working with recombinant protein production in microbial systems benefit from the optimized growth conditions provided by the baffled flask design. The improved oxygenation and mixing efficiency make these flasks an excellent choice for cultivating enzyme-producing microorganisms. Additionally, the ability to achieve high cell densities makes these flasks valuable for metabolic engineering experiments, where maximizing biomass is essential for testing new biosynthetic pathways.
Flask Caps that Meet Your Lab Needs
The TUNAIR™ Polypropylene Erlenmeyer Flask Systems offer an advanced alternative to standard Erlenmeyer flasks, providing superior oxygen transfer, improved culture growth, and enhanced reproducibility. The baffled flask design, combined with durable polypropylene construction, ensures optimal performance across a wide range of microbiological and biotechnological applications. The innovative flask cap design further enhances the system by providing reliable sealing, contamination control, and customizable aeration options. By leveraging these advanced flasks and flask caps, researchers and industry professionals can achieve more consistent results, improve productivity, and streamline their workflows in microbial and cell culture studies. Whether for academic research, industrial bioprocessing, or pharmaceutical development, the TUNAIR™ system is a reliable and efficient choice for high-performance culture growth.
- Replacement and Cleaning
- Specifications
Replacement Instructions:
To replace the filter lining in the cap assembly, simply pinch the flanges of the inner-closure shell until they snap loose. Then, pull apart and remove used lining. Replace the lining by sandwiching it between two parts of the cap and snap the cap back together. When reassembling the cap, ensure the flanges from the inner piece snap into the mated grooves in the outer piece. This will ensure the cap assembly stays together during use.Cleaning Instructions:
Your TUNAIR flasks are constructed of polypropylene plastic which allows them to be autoclaved. Once you have prepared your media inside the flask you can place the cap & filter on the flask and insert into the autoclave. Set the autoclave for wet cycle.
Once you have harvested your cells, wash the TUNAIR flask in a mild dish soap such as Dove Dish Soap then rinse well with DI water. Do NOT rinse the Dri-Gauze filter between uses. The silicone filter can also be rinsed with DI water if needed. Observe the condition of the filters between runs to make certain there are no holes or tears in the filter. If there are, replace the filter immediately.
All TUNAIR Erlenmeyer flasks and caps can be cleaned by soaking in water with a light detergent (i.e. Joy) solution to loosen dirt and contaminants, then air dry. All TUNAIR flasks and caps can be autoclaved, if required.
Material:
All TUNAIR Erlenmeyer flasks and caps are constructed of chemical resistant polypropylene. All flasks and caps are fully autoclavable.
Two Piece Cap:
The 300 ml flask and 2.5 L flask both have a special cap and filter system that promotes gas exchange and maintains sterility of the growth culture during use. The inner portion of the cap unsnaps from the outer portion by pushing in the tabs on the side of the cap assembly and then pulling the insert out.
0.2 micron filters:
There are two different types of 0.2 micron filters available for the TUNAIR flasks. These filters allow for maximum gas exchange while maintaining sterility.
Dri-Gauze:
This is a paper filter than can be used approx. 6 to 8 times before having to be replaced. This filter can be autoclaved while in the cap, on the flask, for 6 to 8 times.
Silicone:
This is a silicone filter that will last the life of the flask. This filter can be autoclaved while in the cap and on the flask for many times.
Cap & Filter Assembly:
Once you have the 2-piece cap assembly apart (either the 300 ml cap or the 2.5 L cap) place the corresponding filter size inside the cap and the re-assemble the inner and outer cap pieces making certain to align the tabs with their associated holes. Once clipped into place, make certain the filter completely covers the cap assembly openings.