Laboratory Incubator: Uses and How to Use It
Laboratory Incubator: Uses and How to Use It
A laboratory incubator is a cabinet held at a stable temperature to grow microorganisms or cells, e.g. 37 °C for human pathogenic bacteria. BOD incubators have cooling so they can run below room temperature, and CO₂ incubators also control CO₂ and humidity for cell culture.
What is a incubator used for?
- Growing bacteria and fungi on Petri dishes or in tubes.
- BOD₅ testing of wastewater at 20 °C for 5 days (BOD incubator).
- Culturing animal and human cells at 37 °C and 5% CO₂ (CO₂ incubator).
- Stability testing and seed germination at a fixed temperature.
Parts of a incubator
- 1Temperature controller – sets and shows the temperature
- 2Outer door and inner glass door – the glass door lets you look without losing much heat
- 3Shelves – hold dishes and tubes
How to use a incubator
Set the temperature and verify it
Set the temperature for the organism (e.g. 37 °C for human pathogenic bacteria, 25–30 °C for fungi) (1). Check it against a calibrated thermometer inside before loading samples.
Stack dishes upside down with space around them
Place Petri dishes upside down in short stacks (1), leaving space between stacks and the walls so warm air circulates evenly.
Open the door only when needed
Look through the inner glass door when you can. Each opening drops the temperature (and CO₂ in a CO₂ incubator), which takes time to recover (1).
Common mistakes
- Packing the incubator against the walls: uneven temperature.
- Trusting the display alone without a reference thermometer: drifts go unnoticed.
Care and safety
- Clean shelves and walls with a suitable disinfectant (e.g. 70% ethanol) regularly and straight after spills.
- CO₂ incubators: fill the water pan with sterile distilled water and change it regularly to prevent mould.
SOP for using a incubator
A summary of the standard operating procedure (SOP) for a incubator that your laboratory can adapt. Each step is explained in the how-to section above.
1Protective equipment
- A buttoned, long-sleeved lab coat.
- Nitrile gloves when handling cultures.
2Before use
- Temperature (and CO₂ if fitted) is stable at the set value and agrees with the reference thermometer.
- Shelves and chamber are free of spills.
- Every sample is labelled with name, date and temperature.
3Procedure
4After use
- Remove finished cultures; autoclave used cultures before disposal.
- Record the daily temperature on the monitoring sheet.
5Verification & calibration
- Record daily readings from a calibrated reference thermometer; investigate deviations beyond the lab's limit (e.g. ±1 °C).
- Temperature mapping and calibration by an accredited lab periodically.
- Periodic service and electrical safety test by a technician as the manufacturer recommends (usually once a year).
6Emergencies
- Culture spill inside: decontaminate with a suitable disinfectant, leave for the contact time and discard wipes as infectious waste.
- Temperature alarm: check the door and power, move critical samples to a backup incubator and report it.
- Smoke, burning smell or electric shock: switch off at the socket if safe, never use water, use a CO₂ extinguisher and report it.
A print-ready version with purpose, scope, illustrated procedure, verification and sign-off boxes. Fill in your own document number and effective date.
Download the SOP (PDF, A4)Types and sizes
Heating incubators (above ambient), BOD or cooled incubators (about 5–60 °C), CO₂ incubators for cell culture, shaking incubators for liquid cultures, and mini incubators or dry baths for tubes.
Laboratory Incubator at AMI Scientific
Examples of incubator available in our store. Prices exclude VAT.
Inkubator Pemanas Infitek Seri ICB-PFrom Rp18.473.985
Inkubator Penangas Kering Bergoyang Joan Lab DBS100From Rp19.692.000
Inkubator BOD Infitek Seri ICB-EFrom Rp32.090.000
Inkubator CO2 Infitek Seri ICB-CO2-HFrom Rp67.622.940
AMI Scientific supplies laboratory glassware, instruments and chemicals with tax invoices and delivery across Indonesia.
Frequently asked questions
What incubator temperature is used for bacteria?
Usually 37 °C for human pathogens and 30–35 °C for many environmental bacteria; fungi usually 25–30 °C.
What is a BOD incubator?
A cooled incubator that can hold temperatures below ambient, named after the Biochemical Oxygen Demand test at 20 °C.
Related equipment
Compiled by the AMI Scientific team from standard laboratory practice. Illustrations: AMI Scientific. Updated: 06-11-2026.
Need a incubator for your laboratory?
AMI Scientific supplies laboratory glassware, instruments and chemicals with tax invoices and delivery across Indonesia.
Available at AMI Scientific
Inkubator Pemanas Infitek Seri ICB-P
From Rp18.473.985