Published: 06 Jan 2025(Updated: 07 Jan 2025)

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Back to Basics: What every scientist should know about their orbital throw

Back to basicsCell cultureLife science researchMicrobial bioprocess

Selecting the correct orbital throw for your incubator shaker is critical for achieving optimal results in cell culture, bacterial growth, and other bioprocessing applications. In this installment of the Back to Basics series, we will explore what orbital throw is, why it matters, and how to make the best choice for your experiments.

What is orbital throw and why does it matter?

Orbital throw refers to the diameter of the circular motion generated by the shaker platform. This movement directly impacts aeration, mixing, and nutrient distribution—key factors for the success of microbial cultures, mammalian cells, and high-throughput screening assays.

Aeration efficiency: Larger orbital throws increase surface area exposure for gas exchange, enhancing oxygen transfer to the culture medium. Insufficient aeration from smaller throws can hinder cell growth.
Mixing and homogeneity: A larger throw or higher speeds promote uniform mixing, ensuring even nutrient and oxygen distribution across the culture. This uniformity supports consistent cell growth and reproducibility.
Growth optimization: Adequate oxygen supply is critical for aerobic organisms like bacteria. Optimizing orbital throw directly impacts culture viability and productivity.

Optimizing orbital throw for different applications

Choosing the correct orbital throw is vital for achieving the best results across a range of applications. A 25 mm orbital throw is versatile and widely used, offering broad compatibility with bacterial and cell cultures. However, tailoring the throw size to specific applications can further optimize results.

1. Bacteria, yeast, and fungi

Challenge: Oxygen transfer in shake flasks is often lower than in bioreactors, limiting growth.
Recommendations: 25 mm throw: Ideal for flask sizes from 25 mL to 2 L. 50 mm throw: Best for larger flasks (2 L to 5 L) to improve aeration and mixing.

2. Cell culture

Challenge: Mammalian cells require gentle mixing to prevent shear stress and have lower oxygen demands.
Recommendations: For 250 mL flasks, a 20–60 mm throw at 100–300 min^-1 provides sufficient oxygen transfer. 50 mm throw: Ideal for flasks with larger diameters (e.g., Fernbach flasks) or single-use bags, balancing mixing with culture integrity.

3. Microtiter and deep-well plates

Challenge: High-throughput screening formats require efficient oxygen transfer.
Recommendations: 50 mm throw at moderate speeds (250 min^-1 and above). 3 mm throw with high speeds (800 to 1000 min^-1)

Additional factors to consider: Flask size and fill volumes

Flask size and fill levels significantly impact aeration and oxygen transfer. For most Erlenmeyer flasks, a fill volume of 10–20% is optimal for maximizing the liquid-air interface, enhancing oxygen transfer in cell culture and microbial growth experiments. Some specialized flasks, such as those designed for higher efficiency, like the Thomson Optimum Growth^® Flasks, can support fill volumes up to 40–50% while maintaining adequate aeration, providing flexibility for experiments requiring larger culture volumes. Selecting the appropriate flask and fill volume ensures effective mixing, oxygen transfer, and culture viability.

Learn more about Thomson flasks

Why adjustable orbital throws matter

An incubator shaker with an adjustable orbital throw provides the flexibility to meet diverse research demands, from bacterial cultures to mammalian cells and microtiter plates. While the throw is not typically adjusted daily, it is invaluable when transitioning to new research projects that require a different approach to oxygen transfer and mixing. This capability ensures you can fine-tune your shaker to meet the specific requirements of any experiment, enhancing reproducibility and efficiency.

The science behind orbital throw and speed

Oxygen transfer efficiency is determined by the centrifugal force generated by shaking, which depends on both orbital throw and speed:

Linear relationship with throw: Doubling the throw (e.g., from 25 mm to 50 mm) doubles the centrifugal force.
Exponential impact of speed: Doubling the speed quadruples the centrifugal force, significantly enhancing oxygen transfer.

For consistent performance when changing throws, adjust the shaking speed using this formula to maintain the same centrifugal force:
e.g., to calculate the speed for 25 mm shaking throw as 141.4 min^-1 when transferring from 100 min^-1 at 50 mm shaking throw.

INFORS HT orbital throw options

INFORS HT offers a range of orbital throw configurations designed for diverse applications:

3 mm throw: Ideal for high-throughput screening using 96 deep well plates or similar formats.
25 mm throw: The go-to option for most standard applications.
50 mm throw: Optimized for large vessels and oxygen-intensive cultures.
Adjustable throw: Available on specific models, allowing you to switch between 12.5 mm, 19 mm, 25 mm, and 50 mm throw.

Case study: HEK293 cells for gene therapy

Researchers at the Jefferson Institute for Bioprocessing (JIB) used an INFORS HT Multitron incubator shaker with a 25 mm throw, 110 min^-1, and 85% humidity to cultivate HEK293 cells. This setup optimized aeration and mixing, supporting cell growth and viral vector production crucial for gene therapy applications.

Read the full case study

Tailor your orbital throw to your needs

The right orbital throw is key to achieving consistent, reproducible results in bioprocessing. INFORS HT’s incubator shakers offer the flexibility and precision needed to optimize aeration, mixing, and culture viability. Explore the Multitron Incubator Shaker and learn how adjustable orbital throws can elevate your research.

View Multitron shaker details

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