An anaerobic chamber is a sealed workstation that maintains an oxygen‑free environment to allow manipulation and cultivation of obligate anaerobes or handling of oxygen‑sensitive materials. It uses a controlled gas mixture and chemical catalysts to remove traces of oxygen, creating conditions not achievable on an open bench.
Design and operation
Anaerobic chambers, also called glove boxes, typically consist of a transparent acrylic or metal enclosure with built‑in gloves that allow the user to handle cultures and instruments without exposure to air. Inside, the atmosphere is flushed with inert gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide and often contains a small percentage of hydrogen; a palladium catalyst combines residual oxygen with hydrogen to form water, continuously scavenging oxygen. Samples and supplies are transferred through an airlock or pass‑through that can be evacuated and refilled with anaerobic gas to prevent oxygen intrusion. An anaerobic indicator, such as resazurin or methylene blue strips, confirms oxygen levels remain below critical thresholds. Some chambers incorporate incubators and work surfaces so that media preparation, plating and microscopic observation can occur without exposing cultures to oxygen. Unlike simple anaerobic jars, chambers provide a spacious and stable environment where researchers can perform complex manipulations on strict anaerobes or oxygen‑sensitive enzymes and cofactors.
Applications and examples
Anaerobic chambers are essential for culturing obligate anaerobic bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum, C. difficile, Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium species, which are killed or inhibited by exposure to even small amounts of oxygen. They enable the isolation of anaerobic pathogens from clinical specimens, preparation of anaerobic media, and performance of metabolic assays requiring reduced conditions. In environmental microbiology, chambers allow researchers to study methanogenic archaea, sulfate‑reducing bacteria and other anaerobes involved in carbon and sulfur cycling. Biochemists use glove boxes to handle oxygen‑labile enzymes, metal clusters and redox cofactors that would oxidize in air. Compared with anaerobic jars and bags that are suitable for short‑term incubation, anaerobic chambers facilitate continuous cultivation and real‑time manipulation of cultures.
An anaerobic chamber provides a controlled, oxygen‑free workspace for working with organisms and molecules that are intolerant of oxygen. By combining gas controls, catalysts and sealed access, these chambers extend laboratory capabilities for studying anaerobes and oxygen‑sensitive processes.
Related Terms: Anaerobic jar, Obligate anaerobe, GasPak, Reducing agent, Clostridium