Incubators

In microbiology an incubator is a device for controlling temperature, humidity and other conditions under which a microbiological culture is being grown. The simplest incubators are insulated boxes with an adjustable heater, typically going up to approx. 65°C. Some incubators can go slightly higher but generally to no more than 100°C. More advanced incubators may have the ability to lower the temperature (via refrigeration) and/or the ability to control humidity or CO2 levels. This feature is specifically designed for cell growth.

Most incubators provide inner and outer glass doors for transparency. The main controller includes a timer. Some can also be programmed to cycle through different temperatures, humidity levels, etc. Incubators can vary in size from tabletops units to units the size of small rooms. Incubators may also provide special features such as regulation of shake speed.

As for temperature, 37°C is a commonly used temperature in incubators being the normal human body temperature. Most bacteria, especially the frequently used E. Coli, grows well under such conditions. For other applications lower temperatures are required, (for fish cells a growth temperature of 25°C is optimal).