Hi everyone,

I am designing a cell culture vessel for my experiments and I have come upon a design consideration that I am not sure how to proceed with, and that is, what would be an adequate design for keep the inside of the vessel sterile? I have tried to draw inspiration from other cell culture vessels (e.g. flasks, plates/dishes, and chamber slides). The vented flasks that I've worked with have always come with 0.2-micron membrane on the cap. This makes sense to me as this allows for gas exchange but particulates larger than 0.2 microns will be unable to pass into the flask. Am I right in stating that this will keep out most airborne bacteria?

When it comes to the plates, is there something special about the design that significantly reduces the risk of introducing contaminants even though it remains an open system? I imagine it has something to do with the airflow (or lack thereof) going under the lid and into the wells. What about the design still allows sufficient gas exchange for cells, but prevents other organisms in the air from getting in? The design for many well plates are very similar. Is there some fundamental rule they are all adhering to? I would appreciate any references. Thank you!