H35 Hypoxystation-2

Date: 1^st August 2012

One of our Whitley H35 Hypoxystation customers comments on his use of the workstation and explains how it is helping in his research. 

“The cellular response to low oxygen is a central component of a number of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. We are interested in the signalling processes behind oxygen sensing, and in particular how changes in oxygen tension are reflected in the metabolic phenotype of a cell.

We use the Whitley H35 Hypoxystation to provide a well-controlled hypoxic environment in which to culture mammalian cells over short time periods (30 minutes to 4 days), mainly using 1% and 0.1% oxygen tensions. We also use it to produce hypoxia/reoxygenation cycles to recapitulate some specific disease phenotypes.

We have had the system in the laboratory here for 6 months, although I have previously used another H35 for 18 months, and before that used a different make of hypoxia workstation for 6 years. In my laboratory, four people use it, and it is in service almost 24/7.

The key features of the Hypoxystation are the ability to control both oxygen and CO₂ levels, as well as being able to set a programme to cycle between different oxygen tensions multiple times overnight. It goes without saying that as with all mammalian tissue culture, we also need to have excellent temperature control and humidity for all of our experiments. In addition, in our experience the H35 uses less nitrogen than other similar instruments reducing the cost of experiments.

The precise control of oxygen tension by the H35 has improved the quality of our results considerably. Also, a previous instrument I used did not have the facility to programme cycling oxygen tensions, so the H35 has opened up a new avenue of research for us.

In a previous laboratory I have had experience of Don Whitley Scientific’s technical assistance. I was always impressed by the speed of the response and the efficiency with which solutions to our issues were found. The instrument was always up and running again very quickly.” 

Dr Dan Tennant
Hypoxia and Metabolism Group, School of Cancer Sciences
University of Birmingham