Overview:

Currently, biotechnology is used in a much broader sense to describe the whole range of technological methods that uses biological systems for various applications in agriculture, food science, and medicine. It combines fields such as genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology and links them to fields like chemical engineering, computer engineering, information technology and robotics

Biotechnology has applications in several major industrial areas including:

• Health care (medical)
• Crop production and agriculture
• Industrial uses of crops and other products (biodegradable plastics, biofuels)
• Environment (Recycle, waste treatment)

Method:

PowerLab data acquisition systems can simultaneously record signals from a multiplicity of sources including pH, dissolved O₂, dissolved CO₂, headspace gas analyzers and temperature, making them ideal for bioreactor monitoring. An eight or sixteen channel PowerLab is recommended since usually many parameters may need to be monitored.

Visit separate application pages dealing with:

• Dissolved O2
• CO2 and NH3
• Respiratory Gas Analysis
• pH and Ionic Concentrations
• Temperature

Software:

LabChart
LabChart software (for Windows and Macintosh) combines the familiar simplicity of a traditional strip chart recorder with the powerful analysis features of a digital acquisition system. LabChart software and a PowerLab data acquisition unit provide data integrity, easy selection of hardware settings, powerful online and offline analysis, procedure automation, seamless extraction of experimental data and flexible display options. Acquisition and analysis capabilities can be further increased with LabChart Extensions and LabChart Modules. LabChart Modules are available as part of LabChart Pro and LabChart Extensions are free for download from the website for existing LabChart users.

Electrodes can be calibrated using the Units Conversion feature of the software.

GLP and 21 CFR Part 11
For those researchers working within a laboratory requiring GLP and 21 CFR Part 11 compliance the GLP Client and GLP Server are available for use with LabChart (Windows only) and PowerLab data acquisition systems. For more information, visit the Good Laboratory Practice application page or contact your nearest ADInstruments representative.

Hardware:

PowerLab Data Acquisition Systems
The PowerLab are high-performance data acquisition units suitable for a wide range of research applications. Typical applications include human and animal physiology, pharmacology, neurophysiology, biology, zoology, biochemistry, and biomedical engineering. Units are capable of recording at speeds of up to 400 000 samples per second continuously to disk (aggregate), and are compatible with instruments, signal conditioners and transducers supplied by ADInstruments, as well as many other brands. In addition to standard single-ended BNC inputs, 4 differential Pod ports are also available for direct connection of Pod signal conditioners and appropriate transducers. These systems include:

• ML866 PowerLab 4/30 - 4 Channels
• ML870 PowerLab 8/30 – 8 Channels
• ML880 PowerLab 16/30 – 16 Channels

Gas Analyzer
ML206 Gas Analyzer can be used for the measurement of respiratory gas concentrations from small animals, such as rats, through to humans. It contains an infrared carbon dioxide sensor and optical oxygen detector fed from a damped microvacuum sampling pump.

Oxygen Electrodes
ADInstruments offer several micro-oxygen and galvanic electrode configurations: 

• MLT1120 Micro-Oxygen Electrode
• MLT1123 Micro-oxygen Electrode (Flow-Through)
• MLT1115 Galvanic Oxygen Electrode

Other oxygen measurement systems (i.e. transcutaneous and fiber optic systems) are available from a number of manufacturers. Analog outputs from these devices may be connected to a PowerLab provided that the signal is ± 10 V. The signals may then be recorded, displayed and analyzed using LabChart software.

Thermocouples & Preamplifiers
The T-type thermocouple probes have a 2-pin T-type plug that is suitable for connection to data acquisition systems via a:

• ML312 T-type Pod
• ML290-V Thermometer for T-type Thermocouples

The thermocouple probes include:

• MLT1406 Needle Microprobe Thermocouple (MT-29/1) - a fast-response needle thermocouple probe which can be used for measuring temperature in tissues, semi-solids and liquids.
• MLT1400 General Purpose Thermocouple Probe (HT-1) - a probe suitable for measuring temperature in liquids, gases and semi-solids. It has a plastic handle and a 75 mm long stainless steel shaft, and is suitable for temperature measurements to a maximum of 400 °C.
• MLT1401 T-type Implantable Thermocouple Probe (IT-18) - a 0.6 mm diameter implantable probe is suitable for immersion in various solutions, semi-solids and tissue. It can also be used to measure rectal temperatures of small animals and is suitable for measuring temperatures up to 150 °C.
• MLT1405 T-type Implantable Thermocouple Probe (IT-21) - a 0.4 mm diameter implantable probe is suitable for immersion in various solutions, semi-solids and tissue. The isolated probe is totally sheathed in chemical resistant Teflon and is rugged. It can measure temperatures up to 150 °C.

Signal Conditioner
ML165 pH Amp
This amplifier is a dual front-end suitable for pH, ion selective, and temperature measurements in solution recordings. It is supplied with a RTD Temperature Probe. It can be used with:

• MLA060 Redox Electrode
• MLA042 pH Electrode
• MI-405 Miniature Glass Electrode for pH
• MI-409 Miniature Reference Electrode

Third-Party Electrodes
Third-party electrodes and meters may be connected to a PowerLab data acquisition system, provided that they have a ± 10 V analog output range. Such electrodes may include: 

• Ion Selective Electrodes and Microelectrodes
• pH Field Effect Transistor (pHFET) Electrodes
• Ion Selective Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) Electrodes
• Fiber Optic Probes

Roles of oxidative stress and AT1 receptors in renal hemodynamics and oxygenation in the postclipped 2K,1C kidney
W J Welch, M Mendonca, S Aslam and C S Wilcox, Hypertension, 692-696, 2003

DNA sensing on glassy carbon electrodes by using hemin as the electrochemical hybridization label
P Kara, D Ozkan, K Kerman, B Meric, A Erdem and M Ozsoz, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 710-716, 2002

Comparison of intracranial pressure measured in the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum of the rat
S Rooker, G de Visscher, B van Deuren, M Borgers, P G Jorens, R S Reneman, K van Rossem and J Verlooy, Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 83-88, 2002