Overview

Open a whole new world of bioprocess development when you use LIS to perform automatic feeding in shake flasks. Simply assemble the components, define the experiment parameters, fill the cartridge with the feeding liquid, and start feeding.

Key Features

  • Automated feeding of liquids into shake flask cultures
  • Flexible feeding rates
  • Control and monitor your feeding experiments wirelessly with the DOTS Software

Benefits

  • Introduce bioreactor-like feeding and control options into your shake flask experiments
  • Avoid process interruptions, like stopping your shaker of moving the flask
  • Align feeding and control strategies of your shake flask screening experiments with later bioreactor runs

Current Shake Flask Challenges

Lack of Control
  • Lacks bioreactor control options for e.g., pH control or fed-batch
  • Leads to inconsistencies in scale-up between shake flask and bioreactors
Disadvantageous Manual Feeding
  • Requires hours of manual, hands-on time
  • Causes process interruptions, risk of contamination, and loss of culture volume
  • Limits complex feeding strategies

How It Works

Automation enables standard use of complex feeding schedules.

Liquid Injection System (LIS)
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In order to dispense a defined amount of liquid from the cartridge, the drive pumps air through a sterile filter into the cartridge according to the feeding profile. 

Liquid Injection System (LIS)
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After the dispense step, the drive rebuilds negative pressure to keep the remaining liquid in the cartridge.

Application Data & Results

Explore applications in real-world situations. Looking for something specific? Contact us to see data for your organism and application.

Enable Fed-batch Cultivations

With LIS, typical bioreactor processes, like fed-batch cultivations, can be recreated in shake flasks. Fed-batch cultures support the growth of S. cerevisiae on potato waste because the concentration of growth inhibitors in the medium can be controlled. With the LIS, these process conditions could be imitated on a shake flask level. 

Read the Success Story →

Batch vs fed-batch growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae,  500 mL Shake Flasks, 50 mL Filling Volume, 25°C, 125 rpm
Promotor Induction in Pichia pastoris with Biomass-based feeding
Pichia pastoris, 250 mL Shake Flasks, 10 mL Filling Volume, 50 mm Throw, 30 °C, 300 rpm

Promotor Induction with Biomass-based feeding

Process control for improved protein production.

Enable feedback-controlled feeding in your shake flask experiments when you connect LIS with reliable biomass monitoring sensors such as the Cell Growth Quantifier (CGQ), or Multiparameter Sensor (MPS), and the DOTS Software. Biomass-based feeding can be used to initiate methanol induction at the optimal time - once cell growth on the primary substrate (glycerol) is complete and sufficient biomass was generated, indicated by a reduction in growth rate.

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DO-based Feeding with PID Controller

Bioreactor-like feedback control for Pichia pastoris cultivations in shake flasks.

With a DOTS-integrated controller, the methanol feed (carried out with the Liquid Injection System) was adjusted to start repeatedly, always when the DO level, monitored by DO Sensor Pills, reached a preset threshold. By using this feature, methanol was always fed as soon as the cells recovered from the previous shot, enabling ideal cell viability, while keeping promotor activity constant. Biomass was monitored additionally, with the Multiparameter Sensor (MPS).

DO-based feeding with 40% methanol
Pichia pastoris, 250 mL Shake Flasks, 10 mL Filling Volume, 50 mm Throw, 30 °C, 300 rpm

Want to see data for your organism or application?

We have tested over 100 microorganisms for more than 50 different applications with our technology.

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Hardware & Software Components

LIS Drive

LIS Drive
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The drive is a programmable miniature pump that controls when and how much liquid is fed from the cartridge into the flask.

LIS Cartridge

LIS Cartridge
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The cartridge is a  pre-sterilized, ready-to-use container that fits on top of the shake flask. It can be filled with up to 25 mL of any type of liquid and acts as a reservoir during the feeding experiment.

DOTS Software

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The DOTS Software allows you to wirelessly control and monitor your feeding experiments. Create individual feeding profiles, define feeding parameters, and monitor the expensed liquid volume over time. By combining other DOTS integrated sensors, parameter-based feeding can be realized.

What Our Customers Are Saying

"Overall, the LIS system is easy to assemble, reduces manual work significantly, and allows us to test multiple feeding profiles, including linear and exponential feeding.”

-Prof. Dr. -Ing. Frank Eiden (Westphalian University of Applied Science)
WHS
"LIS- and CGQ-system turns nights and weekends into productive times for the preparation of optimal inocula and for the first time leverages the early stages of culture expansion to a level of bioprocess monitoring and control that has until today only been accessible in later stage stirred tank bioreactors.”

-FermFactory (RWTH Aachen University)
FermFactory (RWTH Aachen University)
"With the DOTS platform I can combine sensors and actuators in a simple way to perform completely new applications like biomass-based feeding in shake flasks. My shake flasks can now operate similar to small-scale bioreactors, keeping the ease and cost-effectiveness of flasks but adding the sensor and control options of bioreactors. This is truly revolutionary for me and my experiments."

-Christoph Kutzner (Badische Peptide & Proteine, Heidelberg)
Badische Peptide & Proteine-1
"By using the LIS, I can now continuously feed glucose in shake flasks. This improves the transferability of results from shake flask experiments to bioreactor runs."

-Dr. Kambiz Morabbi Heravi (Project Manager, Strain Engineering, Clariant)
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New Application

Biomass-based Feeding in Shake Flasks

Use the interconnectivity of sensors (CGQ) and actuators (LIS) within the new DOTS Software to enable feedback controlled feeding in your shake flask experiments. Set up your injection strategy based on your biomass threshold or growth rate and start feeding based on the specific needs of your culture.

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Specifications

Flask

Compatible Laboratory Infrastructure

The LIS is designed to fit any 38 mm straight neck Erlenmeyer shake flask.

  • Any shake flask size ranging from 100 mL to 5000 mL

  • Flasks with or without baffles

  • Glass and single-use plastic flasks

  • Spring clip and Sticky Stuff mounts

LIS has been successfully tested with a broad variety of liquids. Our team of application scientists will work with you to ensure that the liquid and concentration needed for your particular application can be used with our feeding system. 

  • Sugars

  • Alcohols

  • Glycerol

  • Acids, bases, and inductors (e.g., IPTG)

  • Antifoam

 

Resources

Vessel Types
Flask

Compatible Laboratory Infrastructure

The LIS is designed to fit any 38 mm straight neck Erlenmeyer shake flask.

  • Any shake flask size ranging from 100 mL to 5000 mL

  • Flasks with or without baffles

  • Glass and single-use plastic flasks

  • Spring clip and Sticky Stuff mounts

Liquids

LIS has been successfully tested with a broad variety of liquids. Our team of application scientists will work with you to ensure that the liquid and concentration needed for your particular application can be used with our feeding system. 

  • Sugars

  • Alcohols

  • Glycerol

  • Acids, bases, and inductors (e.g., IPTG)

  • Antifoam

 

Resources

Resources

Customer Success Stories

SBI-Success-Table-6

How to optimize bioreactor inoculum in shake flasks?

This application note illustrates the use of LIS in conjunction with the yeast S. cerevisiae to optimize bioreactor inoculum in shake flasks. After a period of preconditioning, the LIS automatically injects different seed biomass concentrations into a shake flask containing fresh YEPD. Cell growth is monitored in real-time to assess the reproducibility of environmental and growth phase conditions.

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SBI-Success-Table-8-1

LIS WIDENS THE APPLICATION AREA FOR SHAKE FLASKS, E.G., TO DETERMINE THE BEST  PRODUCTION STRAIN.

The batch condition has a great impact on the cell's metabolism which overshadows the strain's characteristic protein production behavior. A LIS facilitated fed-batch process showed a significant increase (30%) in active protein yields, compared to a batch process and is better suited to screen for the best production strain. 

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Want To Connect The DOTS In Your Bioprocessing?

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