A low-cost automized anaerobic chamber for long-term growth experiments and sample handling
- The handling of oxygen sensitive samples and growth of obligate anaerobic organisms
requires the stringent exclusion of oxygen, which is omnipresent in our normal atmospheric
environment. Anaerobic workstations (aka. Glove boxes) enable the handling of
oxygen sensitive samples during complex procedures, or the long-term incubation of
anaerobic organisms. Depending on the application requirements, commercial workstations
can cost up to 60.000 €. Here we present the complete build instructions for a highly
adaptive, Arduino based, anaerobic workstation for microbial cultivation and sample handling,
with features normally found only in high cost commercial solutions. This build can
automatically regulate humidity, H2 levels (as oxygen reductant), log the environmental
data and purge the airlock. It is built as compact as possible to allow it to fit into regular
growth chambers for full environmental control. In our experiments, oxygen levels during
the continuous growth of oxygen producing cyanobacteria, stayed under 0.03 % for 21 days
without needing user intervention. The modular Arduino controller allows for the easy
incorporation of additional regulation parameters, such as CO2 concentration or air pressure.
This paper provides researchers with a low cost, entry level workstation for anaerobic
sample handling with the flexibility to match their specific experimental needs.
