Research and early process development generally rely heavily on screening and examination of cultures grown in microtiter and shake-flasks. Unfortunately, the growth environment in these formats is extremely different from the bioreactor conditions used in larger-scale production. This application note describes two tools for improving growth conditions at these scales. Theµ-Flask: Cultures grown in traditional microplates are usually sealed using simple plastic lids or adhesive tape seals. Such systems suffer from well-to-well variability, poor gas transfer, excessive evaporation, and cross-contamination.…