11 Oct 2022

Old vs New Biocoupler™—What Has Been Changed?

Anjali Singh, MS

As a content and community manager, I leverage my expertise in plant biotechnology, passion for tissue culture, and writing skills to create compelling articles, simplifying intricate scientific concepts, and address your inquiries. As a dedicated science communicator, I strive to spark curiosity and foster a love for science in my audience.

Table of Contents

What Do You Know About Biocoupler™?

Temporary immersion bioreactors (TIB) is an approach to regenerate plants in which explants are soaked in a nutrient-rich medium only for a temporary period. Then, the media is drained out in a different container than the explant to provide plants some air and room to grow.

This approach has several advantages over traditional ways of multiplying explants:

• It prevents vitrification, thus any physiological disorder.
• It provides better control over the explants’ microenvironment.
• It reduces mechanical stress caused to explants’ agitation.
• It provides better protection against contaminants.
• Plants require adequate nutrients to grow and develop, which are provided by a thin layer of culture media on top.

The Biocoupler(TM) is the ṣimplest temporary immersion bioreactor available to date. Its simple design and simple operation allow you to conduct your operations efficiently.

By design, the Biocoupler™ is a cap-like system with having integrated filter (to facilitate a smooth medium flow). It connects two mason jars (or any other similar glass jars) to perform the temporary immersion of explants in a liquid medium. Its unique vent allows you to regulate the flow of liquid, prevents small propagules from passing through, and reduces the chances of airlocks. The microporous vent filter also allows pressure equalization to atmospheric pressure, thus preventing contamination.

Recently we have upgraded the Biocoupler(TM) for you, making it stronger, smarter, and more ergonomic, compared to our older version Biocoupler™. You can find all about the new features in this article. 

Advantages Of Biocoupler™ Over Traditional Temporary Immersion Bioreactors

Though traditional temporary immersion bioreactors are great for commercial operations if you are a beginner or working on a small scale, they will come expensive for you. Also, you will need to pay more for their regular repair and maintenance. Here’re some advantages of the Biocoupler(TM) over traditional temporary immersion bioreactors:

• It’s the simplest TIB system with a simple and elegant design, thus easy to operate.
• You don’t need to learn or have any prior experience before using Biocupler™ in your tissue culture system.
• It doesn’t require electricity to run.
• It’s more affordable and saves more space in your tissue culture lab. Thus, best for hobbyists, beginner culturists, or small-scale businesses. It’s also a great option for bigger labs based on their requirements.
• It works efficiently to multiply plants in hundreds or thousands under in vitro conditions.
• It’s a simple design and you only need to change its filter, which can commonly be found in any store, after some time—unlike traditional TIBs whose parts are often difficult to find.
• You don’t need to stress about the repair and maintenance of the Biocoupler™. Thus, full focus and investment go into your research or tissue culture operations.

So, if you choose to go with Biocoupler™, which provides equal benefits (or more based on your requirements) as these traditional temporary immersion bioreactors, it will be a smart and affordable option for your lab.

How To Use Biocoupler™ For Your Tissue Culture Operation?

As said, using Bicoupler™is the easiest you can work on any temporary immersion bioreactor. You only need to follow some basic steps as given below:

• Prepare your tissue culture media without agar.
• Dispense media in one of the mason jars you are using with a Biocoupler™. Generally, 2/3rd volume is recommended based on the size of your jar.
• Loosely fasten the Biocoupler™ on the jar and connect the other empty jar on the other side.
• Cover the Biocoupler™ with aluminum foil for sterilization
• Autoclave Biocoupler™ using a pressure cooker at 121 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
• After the Bioreactor™ is cooled down, you can start moving your already tissue-cultured plants.
• Open the upper chamber of the Biocoupler™ and place the explants on it.
• After placing the explant, close/connect the upper glass jar with the Biocoupler™.
• Wrap the joint, where Biocoupler™ is connected with both jars, using a parafilm or syringe wrap.
• Label the plants.
• Tilt the bioreactors as needed, once a day or once a week, based on the plant and its growth speed.

NOTE: Tilting the bioreactor means slowly turning them completely upside down at 180 degrees.

What new features have been added to the new Biocoupler™ system?

We continuously strive to innovate products and introduce novel features in our products for your frictionless tissue culture operation and smooth experience. After the launch of our patented Biocoupler™system, we gathered your reviews and your experiences to learn how can we make it more efficient for your tissue culture operation. And, after weeks of work, we are introducing you to a revamped version of Bicoupler™. We have tweaked multiple small up-gradation in the old version to make it stronger and smarter for its use in the labs.

Here’s a list of changes you will observe in the new Biocoupler™ compared to the old Biocoupler™ system:

• Compared to the original, the new model is stronger. It is made from a similar but stronger material.
• The new Biocouplers™ are virtually unbreakable in normal use. Even if dropped onto a concrete floor they just bounce.
• The new material provides improved resistance to repeated high-temperature autoclave cycles.
• The change in the slots allows better liquid flow while efficiently holding back plant material. (The old needed adjustment of the movable aperture plate. The elimination of the adjustable aperture plate solves the problem.) It is much easier to clean too.
• The steel grey color of the Biocoupler™ gives it a modern look. It is also a functional improvement. It is less likely to show stains and is also more resistant to UV light. The satin finish along with the improved outer shape for better gripping is an improvement too. The walls are thicker, adding to the strength. The gasket stays in place better but can also be easily replaced.
• The physical shape of the new one allows for greatly improved placement and replacement of the vent filters. The old one took a certain amount of skill and two little drops of UV glue at the grooves in the center to fully assure no leaks. That is eliminated now.

Now, anyone can easily change the filter without concern for tiny leaks. In fact, the filter can be changed periodically or whenever required.

We hope as much as we have enjoyed integrating these changes to our Biocoupler™ you enjoy using them as much. The Biocoupler™ serves the same purpose as before, with more strength and efficiency.

If you have any questions or queries regarding our new Biocoupler™, whether it's about its features or uses, send us an email at info@plantcelltechnology.com. And, we will help you with all the questions on our Biocoupler™ system.

Happy Culturing!!