EZ-Flask bioreactor – Powerful technology in a simple cell culture flask

The EZ-Flask bioreactor saves user time, incubator space and provides easy and economical protein expression from any suspension cell line. Below you will find detailed descriptions of the major features of this simple yet powerful bioreactor.

Gas exchange technology

EZ-Flask is a simple bioreactor that works with gas exchange technology. It has a gas exchange membrane at its base to permit efficient and continuous oxygenation over a long period of incubation without the need for cell passaging. The base membrane surface area is 200cm2. This allows excellent oxygenation of any suspension cells or hybridomas from the base of the culture flask, meaning that cells can grow exponentially for long periods of time without any other user intervention.

Typically, experiments in EZ-Flask will run anywhere from 15 to 30 days, see the suggested protocols below.

Moreover, as with any static flask device both the EZ-Flask can be considered as a tool for cell culture experimentation, protocol development and for routine batch production. However, with EZ-Flask no cell passaging is required.

Media capacity

The EZ-Flask bioreactor has a 1L media capacity. Following inoculation, suspension cells can grow exponentially over a period of days limited only by the type and amount of media used. Thus, the EZ-Flask bioreactor provides a very convenient means to generate large numbers of cells and to produce, for example, a significant small batch quantity of high titer monoclonal antibody. With a good clone, the 1 Litre EZ-Flask bioreactor might produce around 150mg of monoclonal antibody. No user cell culture interventions are required apart from filling, inoculation and the final harvest.

Easy operation and cost efficiency

Thanks to its simple design, the EZ-Flask bioreactor is very easy to use. Additionally, it leverages powerful gas exchange technology to easily produce milligram amounts of protein. EZ-Flask saves incubator space compared to T-Flasks and significantly cuts down labour costs and time. No passaging work is needed.

Various available protocols

The following publication thoroughly describes the benefits of the gas exchange technology. The publication focuses on G-Rex Plates which is a device also manufactured by WilsonWolf Manufacturing and is the scaled-down version of the EZ-Flask bioreactor: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2329050116300808

Protocol 1 – procedure favours late-producer clones
Grow 50 to 100 million cells in T-Flask(s). DAY 0 : inoculate 1 L of media (e.g. DMEM/10%FBS) in EZ Flask. Leave in incubator undisturbed. DAY 30 : Harvest 1 Litre of monoclonal antibody (or wait until cell viability down to 10% then harvest).

Protocol 2 – procedure for faster culture
Grow 50 to 100 million cells in T-flask(s). DAY 0 inoculate cells into 250ml of media (e.g. DMEM/10%FBS). DAY 2 or 3 add 250ml to double the volume to 500ml. DAY 7 add 500ml to make the total volume up to 1 Litre. DAY 14 – 16 harvest 1 Litre of monoclonal antibody.