What are the differences among conical, round- bottom, and square-bottom tubes?
Conical tubes allow least aeration. They should be avoided in E.coli cell culture. Round-bottom tubes are most commonly used in E.coli cell cultures. They allow less aeration than flasks. The medium and container volume ratio for round-bottom tubes should be at about 1/10. Square-bottom tubes give best aeration at a given shaking speed. They can be easily fixed on the shaking platform too. Containers tightly fixed on the shaking platform give better aeration than those loosely placed on the holders. Similar as the flasks, different materials do not make significant difference on E.coli growth and cell density.
