Astell has been helping organisations achieve effective steam sterilisation for more than 140 years. Over that time, we have learned that in cancer research the autoclave underpins both sides of the bench at once — sterile consumables in, contaminated culture material safely out — and that a busy institute runs several to keep pace. This article draws on lessons from an anonymised cancer research institute that Astell both supplied and continues to validate.
The challenge: no room for a shortcut
Cancer research runs on cell and microbiological culture, which means a constant flow of clean consumables into the work and contaminated culture material out of it. Both depend on the autoclave. A contaminated culture wastes irreplaceable time and sample; unsafe waste is a containment risk. Neither side tolerates a machine that is unreliable or hard to trust.
What actually goes through the chamber
The real load profile is a research-microbiology and cell-culture mix: tubes and vials in quantity, culture flasks — including large two-litre flasks — and plates on the clean and prep side, and, on the return, plastic discard: used plasticware, gloves and culture waste decontaminated before it leaves the lab. The same institute runs both duties day in, day out.
Why vacuum sterilizers, and more than one
An institute like this tends to run vacuum sterilizers: pulling air out of the chamber before the cycle means steam reaches every surface of mixed, awkwardly-shaped loads — stacked flasks, bagged discard — rather than being blocked by trapped air. Just as telling, it does not rely on a single machine. The work is spread across several autoclaves, so a service visit or a breakdown never brings the science to a halt. That fleet approach is typical of the sector: cancer research sites Astell has supplied and continued to service have run multiple panelled autoclaves in the 700–1,000 litre range for a decade or more, with servicing continuing across the equipment's working life rather than stopping at installation.
A typical arrangement would be culture media and flasks on a 121°C cycle held for 15 minutes, with used plasticware, tubes and gloves taken through a separate discard cycle held at 121°C or above.
What this means for research institutes
The priorities are reliability across a fleet, thorough decontamination of biohazardous culture waste, and — because much of this work is regulated or grant-audited — the documentation to prove the sterilisation happened as intended. It is the kind of setting where an autoclave is bought not once but validated year after year, as part of a long relationship rather than a single transaction.
How Astell can help
In this project, Astell supplied and continues to validate multiple autoclaves for a cancer research institute, matching vacuum sterilizers and their cycles to a demanding mix of culture prep and biohazardous discard. If you have a similar challenge, or another autoclave-related question, contact Astell to discuss it. With hundreds of autoclaves available, highly customisable builds, versatile installation options and an expert team of in-house service engineers, Astell has the skills and experience to help solve your steam sterilization challenges. Contact Astell today at Info@Astell.com.
