HypoxyLab by Oxford Optronix

"The Hypoxylab is a scaled-down version of the commonly used bulky hypoxia stations without cutting on functionality or features. It is perfectly suited for in vitro work. The working area can accommodate several tissue culture plates and smaller flasks, and due to its reduced size, the gas consumption is lower than other models. The customer department is praise-worthy; professional, easy to reach, and very attentive. All in all, it was a great addition to our lab."

"HypoxyLab is an incubation chamber for cell culture experiments in vitro. We are using the system regularly (almost daily) to expose tumor cells to different pO2 levels. In our experiments also changes of oxygenation during minutes or hours are very important. HypoxyLab supports these kinds of studies since it is easy to define pO2 profiles in which the oxygenation changes stepwise. After switching the oxygenation to a new level the effective pO2 in the chamber follows quite rapidly so that the environmental conditions correspond well with the pre-defined profile. With the system we were able to analyze the impact of hypoxia on gene expression in tumor cells on the RNA and protein level. We could also identify relevant pO2-regulated microRNAs for signaling in tumor cells. The system is very easy to use. After a short introduction, students can use the system. Cleaning of the system (which is essential in closed chambers) can be performed within minutes since the transparent hood can be removed completely without much effort. Compared with other systems, which we also have in our lab, the gas consumption is much less. In the past during daily routine, some ideas for improvement of the handling came up in our group. We informed the company about possible improvements from the user's point of view and were astonished how fast the company took in our suggestions and updated the system. The rapid control of the atmosphere in the chamber as described above is essential since HypoxyLab does not have an air lock (which is the only disadvantage of the system). During the experiments, consumables have to be put into the chamber through a small hatch. Larger items (e.g., media bottles) have to be placed in the chamber before closing the hood. However, due to the rapid regulation of the atmosphere, the pO2 remains almost constant even after opening the hatch. In conclusion, the system is ideal for our cell culture experiments. Accurate (constant pO2 or pO2 profiles), easy to use and low gas consumption."