Stackable vapor-equilibration tray for cell culture and protein crystal growth

摘要

An apparatus and method for growing protein crystals or performing other chemical or biological processes, such as the culturing of cells, fungi or bacteria, is provided wherein a stackable tray containing sealable wells for housing a coverslip and a protein solution or other desired biological materials has side walls which extend to provide a base so that the tray may be stacked upon a tray below it, but wherein the sealable wells have a raised bottom which does not extend the same distance and thus are raised above the upper surface of the tray below it. By virtue of the present apparatus, the need to provide a plastic lid on the tray upon which another tray will be stacked is eliminated, and this makes these trays cheaper and more efficient, and allows them to be far more readily handled using robotics or other automated systems to stack, unstack, or manipulate the trays.