Engineering characterization of Thomson Optimum Growth® shake flasks with optimized geometry

The evolution of shaken flasks for biotechnological applications began in the 1940s with the increased interest in the microbial production of antibiotics [1]. The Nobel Prize awarded production of streptomycin by Streptomyces actinobacteria showed the main disadvantage of static cultures: slow growth. Hence, shaking platforms were constructed and an already established, readily available vessel was used: the Erlenmeyer flask [2]. Nowadays, the usage of shaking flasks is widespread due to their easy handling and thus, those reactors are preferred for use used in upstream processing [3]. In recent years, numerous articles about shake flask, e.g. about general engineering aspects [4], power consumption [3, 5-6], or gas exchange [7-8], have been published, underlining the importance of shake flask in biotechnology. However, the design hasn't changed significantly. Erlenmeyer and Fernbach style shake flask are still the predominant designs [2], despite their disadvantages (e.g. the relatively low filling volumes [1]). Consequently, the Thomson Instrument Company introduced a new shake flask design for cell cultures (Optimum Growth®), claiming higher yield on the same shaker footprint [9]. This poster gives an overview of different procedural parameters for the 500 mL and 5 L Optimum Growth® flasks, enabling scientist to compare and evaluate the new design and to choose suitable cultivation conditions.