DOTS is coming to Cell Culture! January 2025 - Subscribe to our Newsletter for Updates

Overview

As the central piece of sbi’s DOTS Platform, the MPS enables effortless online monitoring of multiple parameters in shake flasks. From dissolved oxygen (DO) and biomass monitoring to fluorescence detection – the MPS turns the standard shake flask into smart bioreactors.

Key Features

  • Most versatile shake flask sensor on the market 
  • Monitor a broad range of parameters: Biomass, Fluorescence, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and More!
  • Easy to install under each shake flask

Benefits

  • Turn your shake flasks into low-cost, high-throughput mini bioreactor
  • Say goodbye to manual sampling
  • Use with any shake flask for reduced operating costs
  • Save time with automated, online monitoring of many shake flasks in parallel
  • Real-time, actionable insights from all your shake flasks

Current Shake Flask Challenges

No Monitoring
  • Black-box shake flasks with limited bioprocess understanding
Manual Sampling
  • Low data dentsity
  • Extensive hands-on time needed
  • Process interruptions and loss of culture volume
Parameter-specific Sensors
  • Insufficient process monitoring leads to gaps in process optimization and development

How It Works

Our Multiparameter Sensor (MPS) enables dissolved oxygen, backscatter (biomass), and fluorescence monitoring in shake flasks. The platform-type sensor is built to accommodate additional sensor parameters as they are developed by the sbi team, ensuring scientists will have the latest technology.multiparameter-sensor-for-shake-flasks-sbi

 

Application Data & Results

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

biomass-dissolved-oxygen-eGFP-E.coli

Escherichia coli (E. coli), 200 rpm/25 mm, 10 % filling volume, 250 ml flask, 37°C

Monitor Metabolic Events in Real-time

DOTS enables real-time monitoring of multiple parameters. Early IPTG inoculation (marked by the red triangle) is used to induce protein expression, showing that GFP expression is growth-coupled. By continuously monitoring these parameters online, researchers can gain insights into the dynamics of metabolic events occurring within the shake flask culture.

ecoli_photoswitch_protein_graph (1)

Escherichia coli (E. coli), 200 rpm/25 mm, 10 % filling volume, 250 ml flask, 37°C, LB Medium

Fluorescence Monitoring

Escherichia coli (E. Coli) Expression of a Photoswitch Protein

This pTimer protein changes its fluorescence from green to red during maturation. By measuring fluorescence emission of different wavelengths, photoswitch processes can be tightly monitored. 

DO-based Feeding

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 (P. pastoris), 200 rpm/25 mm, 10 % filling volume, 250 ml flask, 37°C

Want to see data for your organism or application?

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

Speak With An Expert

Customize Your Smart Shake Flask

Choose from an array of parameter-specific sensor-and-software modules to build the smart shake flask that meets your needs. With the MPS, you can continue to expand your shake flask sensing capabilities as new sensors are added in the future.

Biomass

MPS

Monitor biomass and growth rates non-invasively through the vessel wall via backscattered light detection. The real-time, high-resolution growth curves provide actionable insights into your strain's growth behavior.

Dissolved Oxygen

SensorPills

When combined with the single-use Dissolved Oxygen Sensor Pill, the MPS continuously detects changes in the DO level of your culture. 

Fluorescence

Fluorescence

An integrated spectrophotometer enables fluorescence monitoring of various wavelengths, also in parallel, and evaluation of fluorescent protein expression.

Parameter-Based Feeding

LIS

Integrate the MPS with sbi's Liquid Injection System (LIS) to precisely feed liquids based on specified parameters (i.e. DO, biomass). These advanced control options elevate your shake flask experiments to a new level of precision and effectiveness.

Environmental Parameters

Environmental

Embedded ambient sensors in the MPS enable the measurement of environmental parameters such as temperature, shaking speed, and humidity, providing comprehensive insights into your bioprocess and indicating shaker openings or other disruptions. 

Do you want bioreactor-like capabilities on the shake flask level?

EXPLORE THE DOTS PLATFORM

Hardware & Software Components

Multiparameter Sensor & Adapter

multiparameter-sensor-adapter-icon (2)
Learn More

Each sensor plate is positioned in the adapter under the cultivation vessel and measures non-invasively through the vessel wall.

USB Hub

usb hub in grey circle
Learn More

Several sensor plates can be connected to a single hub. The hub bundles the data from all monitored flasks and sends it to the DOTS Software.

DOTS Software

SBI-Icon-dots-software-computer-2
Learn More

The DOTS Software receives the data from the hub and visualizes relevant parameter data in real-time.

What Our Customers Are Saying

"You don't get more product by trying to get more product, but by gaining more insights into your process."

-Raul Reveles (Senior Bioprocessing Engineer, Bond Pet Foods)
Bond Pet Foods Logo white

Specifications

Compatible Laboratory Infrastructure

The MPS is compatible with a variety of shake flasks. The adapter system provides maximum flexibility, allowing the same sensor plate to be used with different shake flask sizes.

  • Any shake flask size ranging from 100 mL to 2000 mL

  • Glass and single-use flasks

Resources

Compatibility

Compatible Laboratory Infrastructure

The MPS is compatible with a variety of shake flasks. The adapter system provides maximum flexibility, allowing the same sensor plate to be used with different shake flask sizes.

  • Any shake flask size ranging from 100 mL to 2000 mL

  • Glass and single-use flasks

Downloads

Resources

From Estimation To High-Resolution Growth Curves

Why CGQ for your Shake Flasks?

Manual sampling-based data is often not sufficient to fully understand the bioprocess. Offline sampling is complex and time consuming, resulting in lower measurement frequency with most pulls being at the start or the end of the experiment. This means that critical information from your growth phases are being overlooked, and could have a detrimental impact on your final product. Automated online measurements, on the other hand, never miss a moment. With a high resolution growth curve, you can detect bioprocess changes in real-time.

Cell Growth Quantifier (CGQ)
Success Growth Graph

Customer Success Stories

SBI-Success-Table-2
"Our group has been using the Cell Growth Quantifier (CGQ) for roughly five years by now and even though we often use the device for screenings, it also is the perfect tool for toxicity tests.”

-Dr. Julia Hitschler (University of Frankfurt)
Goethe University Frankfurt
Learn More
Cell Growth Quantifier (CGQ)
"The backscatter data we gathered here with the CGQ system clearly shows a match with another growth characterisation parameter, in this case with the oxygen transfer rate (OTR)."

-Frédéric Lapierre (HS München)
HM
Learn More

Want To Connect The DOTS In Your Bioprocessing?

CONTACT OUR TEAM