Did The Grant Just Come Through On Your Research Project? 4 Tips For Choosing A Refrigerated Incubator That Fits Your Needs
Receiving funding for your project is exciting, and it's a sure sign that you are on the right track with developing research that could impact the world both now and in the future. With your funding in place, you can also begin the process of gathering all of the equipment and supplies that you need to run a successful experiment. A refrigerated incubator is one of the most critical pieces of equipment that you can purchase for your life science lab.
Due to the sensitive nature of experiments that deal with microorganisms, you will find that these incubators come in a variety of styles with specific features that help control the temperature of the samples while doing so much more. As you get ready to start your project, you can use these four tips to select an incubator that satisfies all of the needs for your research study.
Choose an Environmentally Friendly Incubator
When you are engaged in health or life science research, you need to be highly aware of how everything you do impacts the environment. Start your selection process by looking for incubators that use no compressors that require CFCs. An energy-efficient model also fits into a tight research budget better while making you feel good about the low environmental footprint that your project creates.
Consider the Effects of Vibration
Depending upon your experiment, you may need to keep all of your samples perfectly still. Some incubators generate a slight vibration that can affect the final results. Choose a vibration-free chilling incubator if you need to control this factor. Alternatively, you can find incubators with a vibration feature if you need to generate movement during your experiment.
Explore Time and Temperature Control Options
Programmable thermostats also allow you to set the temperature to move from one set point to another over a specific period of time. This allows you to set it and forget it so that you eliminate the possibility of human error affecting the final results of your project. You can also find features that allow you to make temperature changes remotely so that you are not tied down to your lab during critical points of the experiment.
Look for Data Collection Features
Your refrigerated incubator can also be purchased with features that enhance data collection. For example, wifi-enabled incubators allow you to store your data in the cloud where you can manage its security and be able to access it from different locations. You can also find incubators with specialized ports that allow you to plug in your other equipment for data collection purposes. While you never want to cut corners on your experiment, finding ways to streamline the amount of time that you spend on data collection allows you to focus more on your analysis of the information that your experiment generates.