Blog | Laboratory Supply Network

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 Read more ...

Enzymatic and Mechanical Approaches for Mammalian Tissue Dissociation

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.

Linear vs. Orbital Shaking for Cell Culture.

Using Sand in a Bath

By Miriam Carrillo, 19 November 2024

The choice between sand and other heating methods depends on the experiment's needs, including the required temperature range, heating profile, sample types, and vessel compatibility. A key consideration is whether a liquid or solid bath material is more suitable.

While many baths are called water or oil baths, they can also accommodate additional liquids and certain solids like beads or sand.

NSF/ANSI 456 for Vaccine Storage

By Miriam Carrillo, 22 October 2024

As global vaccine demand soars, proper storage has become vital. The necessity for developing and distributing effective vaccines gained unprecedented significance during the COVID-19 pandemic. As scientists persist in creating new preventative treatments for various diseases, the healthcare cold storage industry has likewise innovated in manufacturing and design to ensure the proper storage of these vital materials.

This blog delves into how these standards are transforming vaccine preservation, ensuri...

Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Muffle Furnace

By Miriam Carrillo, 17 October 2024

As muffle furnaces are available in different configurations, it is essential to consider what maximum temperature your application requires, chamber size, heating elements, and programming options.

In this article, we will explore key factors to consider and the different uses for each type of laboratory furnaceRead more ...

Factors to Consider When Purchasing a Muffle Furnace

How a Muffle Furnace Works / Types of Muffle Furnaces

By Miriam Carrillo, 14 October 2024

Muffle furnaces are indispensable tools across various scientific and industrial fields, providing precise and controlled high-temperature environments for a wide range of applications. Whether you are ashing samples, heat-treating materials, or conducting complex thermal analyses, a muffle furnace is a reliable partner that ensures your results are both accurate and repeatable.

How a Muffle Furnace Works / Types of Muffle Furnaces

Proper Maintenance for Muffle Furnaces

By Miriam Carrillo, 09 October 2024

Muffle furnaces are essential tools in laboratories for high-temperature processes such as annealing, sintering, and calcination. To guarantee their longevity and operator safety, consistent maintenance and strict adherence to safety protocols are imperative. This section explores key maintenance practices and safety measures essential for extending the lifespan of a muffle furnace...

Maintaining Buffer Temperature During Western Blot Transfer

By Kim McDonald, 31 August 2024

To avoid issues associated with inconsistent buffer temperature during Western blot transfer, there are a variety of options for cooling the buffer. Many tanks are equipped with refillable ice packs or ice chambers, or the entire tank can be placed in an ice bucket or cold room. Still, these options lead to variations in temperature across the tank. To address this, many Western blotting protocols utilize magnetic stirrers to circulate the buffer during protein transfer to maintain a consistent temperature and avoid hot spots that can inhibit transfer.

Maintaining Buffer Temperature During Western Blot Transfer

Maintenance for ULT Freezers

By Miriam Carrillo, 19 August 2024

Consider the implications of preserving a sample in a ULT freezer that belongs to an individual who is no longer available, or managing samples collected from diverse global regions where replacement may be difficult or excessively costly. This underscores the critical importance of sample / specimen preservation, and perhaps no piece of laboratory equipment is more important to sample preservation than a ...

Tips for Using a Vacuum Pump with a Vacuum Oven

By Miriam Carrillo, 07 August 2024

Using the right vacuum pump with your vacuum oven is important to ensure reliable operation and rapid, effective drying. However, simply hooking up the pump to the oven isn't sufficient to ensure that your operations are trouble-free and your equipment lasts as long as possible. There are a number of things you should know about this application.

Tips for Using a Vacuum Pump with a Vacuum Oven

Vacuum Pump Selection for Vacuum Ovens: What You Need to Know

By Miriam Carrillo, 06 August 2024

Choosing the correct vacuum pump for your lab's vacuum oven is a significant decision. The right pump means efficient and accurate results, while the wrong one could cause headaches and failures. This guide is here to help you figure out the key things to consider and what features to look for when picking a vacuum pump for your lab oven.

Vacuum Pump Selection for Vacuum Ovens: What You Need to Know

Should You Sonicate Your Western Blot Lysates?

By Kim McDonald, 08 June 2024

Sonication uses ultrasonic frequencies of 20 kHz or greater to disrupt cell membranes and ensure complete cell lysis. While most homogenization techniques are capable of cell lysis and homogenization, sonicators are particularly efficient. Where sonication stands out from other methods is its ability to shear chromatin and DNA in small sample volumes. DNA released from lysed nuclei can create a viscous sample that interferes with sample preparation and gel loading. Sonication shears DNA, decreasing v...

Should You Sonicate Your Western Blot Lysates?

Backup Systems for ULT Freezers: Your Reliable Safeguard

By Miriam Carrillo, 07 June 2024

Think about the contents of your ultra-low temperature freezer (or, if you don’t have one yet, the future cont...

Backup Systems for ULT Freezers: Your Reliable Safeguard

Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled Chillers: Which one is better for your Lab?

By Miriam Carrillo, 23 May 2024

Recirculating chillers must reject heat in order to function. The heat they are removing from your application needs to go somewhere! Therefore, you need to decide on an air-cooled or water-cooled chiller when purchasing one. However, the operation and requirements of these two types of chillers are very different. Let’s dive into th...

Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled Chillers: Which one is better for your Lab?

Sealed Centrifuge Rotors to Help Prevent Laboratory-Acquired Infections

By Kim McDonald, 17 February 2024

Centrifuges are used in nearly every laboratory worldwide to separate serum from plasma in clinical settings, pellet cells for storage, isolate proteins, and purify viral particles. Thus, laboratory centrifuges are one potential source of exposure to infectious material. Because of the high speed at which a centrifuge spins, samples can become aerosolized if the sample tube or vessel is not properly sealed. Additionally, sample vessels that are cracked or not rated to withstand high enough force may fail and leak. Unbalanced rotors may cause...

Sealed Centrifuge Rotors to Help Prevent Laboratory-Acquired Infections