Microbiological Climate Chamber

What is Microbiology?

Microbiology is the branch of biology that deals with the scientific study of microorganisms , that is , all bacteria, fungi, and even viruses that are not visible to the human eye .

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The field of microbiology is infinite and constantly evolving. Scientific research has so far examined only 1% of all microorganisms present in nature.

Microbiology: Main Applications

Microbiology finds application in industry, universities and research institutes, mainly in the fields of:

• Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology

Microbiology makes use of so-called biological cultivation: it is the multiplication of microorganisms in a programmed, controlled, selective way and therefore with conditions created exactly for their reproduction.

The procedure is governed by the ISO 11133 standard.

The results of these tests are essential for the pharmaceutical industry, for identifying the bacteria and viruses responsible for diseases and infections and for the subsequent search for drugs that can combat them.

• Environmental Microbial Chemical Analysis

Like the general analysis of all types of water, both potable and non-potable.

• Food and Cosmetics

These industries also deal with particular bacteria that can affect the properties of their respective semi-finished and finished products.

In the food industry, we're primarily talking about fresh foods (pasta, dairy products) and raw fish, but also about determining a product's shelf life in general.

For the cosmetics industry, however, bacteria must not interfere with the characteristics of the product as it must come into contact with delicate human skin.

Growth Chamber

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Characteristics of a Microbiological Climate Chamber

Generally, when referring to a microbiological climate chamber, the term microbiology incubator is used. 

We have already told you about the difference between an incubator and a climate chamber. 

In this case, however, we can say that the parallelism is often legitimate, as the instrument for microbiological applications has simpler characteristics than climatic chambers for cyclic tests, both in terms of temperature range and the complexity of the test to be performed. 

Let's see the main characteristics of a microbiological climate chamber:

• Temperature and Programmer equipped:

The temperature requirements of a microbiological analysis chamber require extremely accurate and homogeneous control of the parameter.

Homogeneity prevents the sample from dehydrating or drying out, absolute non-alteration serves to create and maintain an ideal habitat for the propagation of the microorganism.

A consequence of this requirement is the controller with which these chambers are equipped, which does not allow the possibility of programming automatic temperature cycles.

The temperature must be kept stable in a range that usually goes from 30° to 50°, but which rarely exceeds the extremes of -10/70°.

If there is a gas requirement, such as CO2, the gas pressure must also be uniform throughout the volume of the instrument and throughout the test.

• Humidity and Lighting

Humidity control is a very common requirement in incubators for microbiological analysis. If it isn't present, we're talking about a thermostatic chamber.

Lighting must also meet the requirement of homogeneity. Choosing the right position for the lamps—horizontal or vertical, on shelves or walls—is crucial to the success of a scientific study on bacteria.

• Safety

Since it deals with bacteria and viruses, the growth chamber must guarantee absolute safety both inside, to create an environment favorable to the propagation of microorganisms and facilitate cleaning after the test, and outside, to avoid potential dangers to the operator.

Learn more: discover our climatic chamber for CO2 testing in a microbiological environment, designed and produced by FDM Environment Makers.

FDM Climate Chamber for Microbiological Analysis

Growth chambers with FDM lightingmeet all the requirements listed above.

Different types of lighting provide the solution for microbiological tests, insect or plant growth.

All our chambers can guarantee humidity control.

The stillFACE controller allows the temperature to be maintained stable and uniform throughout the test and the stainless steel exterior guarantees the robustness of the device as well as safety and ease of cleaning for the operator.

Do you need to perform microbiological tests?

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Reference Standards

• ISO 11133 — Microbiology of food, animal feed and water – Preparation, production, storage and performance testing of culture media. Thermal requirements for culture incubation.
• ISO 17025 — General requirements for the competence of testing laboratories, applicable to microbiological laboratories.
• ISO 7218 — Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – General requirements and guidance for microbiological examinations.
• EN 12322 — In vitro diagnostic medical devices – Culture media for microbiology – Performance criteria.
• USP — Microbiological Best Laboratory Practices, includes requirements for incubation chambers.
• USP — Microbiological Examination of Nonsterile Products for quantitative and qualitative tests.
• EU GMP Annex 1 (rev. 2022) — Manufacture of Sterile Medicinal Products, requirements for environmental monitoring of cleanchamber incubators.

Authoritative Sources

• ISO – International Organization for Standardization. Publishes the ISO 11133, ISO 17025, and ISO 7218 standards for microbiological laboratories.
• USP – United States Pharmacopeia. Chapters
• EMA – European Medicines Agency. EU GMP Annex 1 updated 2022 on sterile manufacturing.
• ACCREDIA. Italian accreditation body for microbiological laboratories according to ISO/IEC 17025.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Microbiological Chamber

What incubation temperatures does microbiology require?

Standard incubations according to ISO 11133 include: 30 °C ± 1 °C for total mesophilic count (TPC) in foods; 37 °C ± 1 °C for Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, E. coli, human pathogens; 22 °C ± 2 °C for molds and yeasts (USP 44-45 °C ± 0.5 °C for thermotolerant coliforms; 55-57 °C for thermophilic spore formers (Geobacillus stearothermophilus). Specific applications: 60-65 °C for thermophilic fermentations; 4 °C ± 2 °C for inoculum and strain storage. The required range is typically 4-70 °C with stability ≤ 0.5 °C and uniformity ≤ 1 °C across all shelves. European Pharmacopoeia incubation chambers require 9-15 point mapping with ACCREDIA-calibrated Class A PT100 probes.

What distinguishes a CO₂ chamber from a standard incubator?

CO₂ incubators are designed for in vitro cell culture with simultaneous control of: temperature 37°C ± 0.1°C , CO₂ 5% ± 0.1% (maintenance of pH 7.2-7.4 of bicarbonate media), relative humidity > 95% RH to prevent evaporation from flasks/dishes. Sensors: dual-beam infrared (NDIR) CO₂, electrochemical or optical O₂ for hypoxia applications (1-20%). Advanced systems add automatic high-temperature decontamination (90-180°C for 2-12 hours) or VHP/O₃, HEPA H14 filters on air recirculation. Standard microbiological chambers, on the other hand, offer only thermoregulation without CO₂/RH and are dedicated to incubating plates/tubes. The control trigas chambers also control N₂ for anaerobic applications (0-21% O₂), with galvanic probe and balancing N₂/CO₂ generator.

What are the biosafety requirements for BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories?

Microbiology laboratories are classified into 4 biosafety levels (BSL-1 to BSL-4) according to the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual. BSL-2 (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella): Class II A2 biohazard cabinet (HEPA supply and return filters), accessible autoclave, standard PPE, controlled access. BSL-3 (M. tuberculosis, Bacillus anthracis): negative overpressure -20 to -50 Pa, air exchange rate 6-12/h, HEPA filtration on exhaust air, double interlock door, pass-through biotight autoclave, shower out. Incubation chambers in BSL-3 must have secondary containment (double wall, integrated HEPA filters on recirculated air), automatic VHP decontamination between batches, 100% parameter traceability with an audit trail. Access requires biosafety training and pressurization verified before each entry.

How is a microbiological chamber classified according to GMP Annex 1?

Qualification follows a documented IQ/OQ/PQ protocol. IQ: installation verification, material certificates (AISI 316L, Ra < 0.4 μm for contact surfaces), HEPA H14 filters (99.995% efficiency on 0.3 μm DOP test according to EN 1822), software traceability. OQ: 9-15 point thermal mapping with ACCREDIA calibrated PT100 probes, gradient criteria ≤ 1 °C and fluctuation ≤ 0.5 °C at 37 °C; recovery time verification after opening (< 15 min); HEPA integrity test; particle counting (ISO 14644-1 Class 7 or 8). PQ: 3 cycles with real load, microbiological challenge test with biological indicators BCYE + Legionella or ATCC 29213. EU GMP Annex 1 requirement (2022): continuous monitoring of particles ≥ 0.5 μm and ≥ 5 μm, alarming on deviation, weekly environmental monitoring with settle plate and contact plate.