MANSFIELD, PA – The Mansfield Foundation has recently purchased two carbon dioxide incubators for the Mansfield University Biology Department. Carbon dioxide incubators are used to grow mammalian cells in a dish, outside of the body. This unique resource will support coursework and research for our students. As the biomedical field is rapidly advancing, it is our jobs to provide our students with relevant experiences to prepare them for employment in industry, academia, and healthcare professions. These incubators will help biology students and faculty do just that.
Carbon dioxide incubators control the temperature, humidity, and amount of carbon dioxide in the environment in which mammalian cells are grown. It is crucial that this environment is tightly regulated and maintained in order to ensure reliable and reproducible experiments. The incubators also have a self-sterilization feature to eliminate potential bacterial and mold contamination. These high-quality incubators will be a great asset to Mansfield University students.
Junior- and Senior-level Cell and Molecular Biology majors and many students minoring in Biology often take the course Tissue Culture (BI-3378), which entails the growing of mammalian cells outside of the body and in culture/Petri dishes. This course is a hands-on, techniques-based course that teaches students the technical skills required to culture cells in vitro, an important aspect of biological research and biomedical employment. The course has a built-in research project in which students become familiar with scientific literature and learn to collect, analyze, and present their data in both written and oral formats. Mammalian cells grown in these incubators will also be used in Molecular Biology and Immunology courses, as well as in the Biochemistry course offered by the Chemistry Department. In addition, multiple students will use the incubators to complete their independent, senior research projects, which is a requirement for any Mansfield University Biology degree and something many Chemistry majors choose to complete.
The Mansfield Foundation boasts a legacy and giving and trust since 1974 in supporting Mansfield University and future generations of Mounties, and the Biology and Chemistry Departments are grateful for their support. For more information on the Mansfield Foundation, please visit www.MansfieldFoudation.org.