CDC Biofilm Reactor®
The Most Widely Used Biofilm Reactor in the World
The CDC Biofilm Reactor® is the standard platform for reproducible biofilm growth in research and product development, recognized in five ASTM and USEPA standard test methods and cited in thousands of peer-reviewed publications. It is the reactor of choice for antimicrobial efficacy testing, disinfectant qualification, corrosion studies, medical device biofilm research, and food safety applications.
The reactor features eight polypropylene coupon holder rods suspended from a UHMW-polyethylene ported lid, each holding three 1/2-inch (12.7mm) diameter coupons for a total of 24 coupons per run. The assembly sits in a 1-liter glass vessel with a side-arm discharge port. Mixing and shear are generated by a magnetic stir bar and vane rotated by a stir plate, allowing precise control of shear conditions. The entire system is autoclavable and reusable, with aseptic coupon removal and replacement between sampling points.
CBR 90 Standard CDC Biofilm Reactor®
Includes coupon holder rods, polycarbonate coupons, coupon removal tool, coupon manipulation tool, and glass flow breaks.
Applications
The CDC Biofilm Reactor® is used across antimicrobial efficacy testing, disinfectant and biocide qualification, anti-microbial surface and coating evaluation, industrial corrosion studies, food processing equipment sterilization testing, and medical device biofilm assessment. Biofilm grown on coupons can be imaged directly under a microscope or sampled and plated for quantitative viable cell counts. The 24-coupon capacity supports robust experimental designs with multiple treatment conditions, concentrations, and replicates in a single run.
Configurations and Customization
The CDC Biofilm Reactor® supports a range of configurations beyond the standard coupon holder rod. Alternative rod types include the slide holder rod (CBR 2203-GL) for flat slide coupons, the porous media holder rod (CBR 2203-PM) for transverse membrane and porous substrate studies, and the membrane holder rod (CBR 2203-MBM) for tangential flow membrane research. The anaerobic model (CBR 90-3) adds compression seals around each rod and between the lid and vessel for oxygen-controlled experiments.
40+ standard coupon materials are available including plastics, metals, rubbers, and ceramics. Alongside commonly ordered materials like stainless steels, rubbers, and plastics, BST offers specialty disc coupons not commonly available. Hydroxyapatite disc coupons (RD128-HA) provide a calcium phosphate substrate that closely mimics the mineral composition of tooth enamel and bone, making them the standard choice for dental and bone implant biofilm research. Denture acrylic resin disc coupons (RD128-PMMA) are used for oral biofilm studies on prosthetic surfaces. Glazed tile (RD128-GT) and porcelain (RD128-PL) disc coupons offer porous ceramic substrata suited for biofilm studies on building materials, food processing surfaces, and environmental substrates. Concrete-coated polycarbonate discs (RD128-CC) are available for infrastructure and water distribution system studies, and cobalt chrome (RD128-CoCr) and Inconel 718 (RD128-Inc) discs support aerospace and medical device research applications. Alternative rod configurations are also available for porous media and membrane studies.
CBR 90-3 Anaerobic CDC Biofilm Reactor®
Includes seals around each rod and between lid and vessel. The anaerobic CBR includes coupon holder rods, polycarbonate coupons, coupon removal tool, coupon manipulation tool, and glass flow breaks.
CDC Biofilm Reactor® Models at a Glance
| Model | Voltage | Stir Plate Included | Stir Plate Type | Anaerobic Capable | Included With Every Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBR 90-1 | 120 VAC | Yes | Standard | No | polycarbonate coupons (24), side-discharge vessel with ported lid, coupon holder rods (8), blank coupon holder rod, coupon removal tool, stir bar/vane, glass flow breaks (2), coupon manipulation tool, bacterial air vent, six (6) month limited warranty |
| CBR 90-1-Int | 220-240 VAC | Yes | Standard | No | |
| CBR 90-1-DH | 120 VAC | Yes | Digital Stir/Hot Plate | No | |
| CBR 90-1-DH-Int | 220-240 VAC | Yes | Digital Stir/Hot Plate | No | |
| CBR 90-2 | N/A | No | Not included | No | |
| CBR 90-3 | N/A | No | Not included | Yes | |
| CBR 90-3-SS | 120 VAC | Yes | Standard | Yes | |
| CBR 90-3-SS-Int | 220-240 VAC | Yes | Standard | Yes | |
| CBR 90-3-DH | 120 VAC | Yes | Digital Stir/Hot Plate | Yes | |
| CBR 90-3-DH-Int | 220-240 VAC | Yes | Digital Stir/Hot Plate | Yes |
Anaerobic models include all standard contents plus the anaerobic lid compression seal assembly and silicone flange gasket. The CBR 90-2 and CBR 90-3 are intended for labs that already have a compatible stir plate.
Robust Biofilm Growth with the CDC Biofilm Reactor®
Biofilms grown using the CDC Biofilm Reactor® are robust and well-adhered to substrate surfaces. The microscopy images below showcase Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms generated using ASTM E3161: Standard Practice for Preparing a Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm using the CDC Biofilm Reactor®. The substrate used is a borosilicate glass disc (RD128-GL Borosilicate Glass Disc Coupon), stained with a fluorescent-based live/dead stain to highlight living cells within the biofilm. These images, provided by the Standardized Biofilm Methods Laboratory at the Center for Biofilm Engineering, demonstrate the high-quality biofilm growth achievable with the CDC Biofilm Reactor®.
Watch instructional videos on the CBR (Produced by the Center for Biofilm Engineering at MSU):
CBR 2203 Coupon Holder Rod
Polypropylene coupon holder (holds 3 coupons each), 8 included with CDC Biofilm Reactor.
CBR 2203-B Blank Rod
Polypropylene coupon holder rod without coupon recesses used as a place holder after sampling a sample rod (included with CDC Biofilm Reactor).
CBR 2203-GL Slide Holder Rod
Polypropylene rod to hold 0.70 inch (18 mm) wide (or less) x 0.063 inch(1.6 mm) thick slide coupons.
CBR 2203-PM Porous Media Holder Rod
Polypropylene Slide Holder Rod plus polycarbonate porous media/membrane holder cartridge used to capture porous media between 2 membranes/screens, or for transverse membrane studies.
CBR 2203-MBM Membrane Holder Rod
Polypropylene rod with polycarbonate frame to hold membrane samples for tangential flow membrane studies.
CBR 2232 Splash Guard
Insert for preventing splashing inside a 50mL conical vial during sampling.
Required in E2871: Single Tube Method
CBR 2240 Splash Guard
Insert for preventing splashing inside a 250mL conical vial during sampling.
Replacement Parts
All CBR components and parts are available for purchase individually. Check out our full list of replacement parts:
0.5 in. Diameter Sample Coupon
More than 40 materials are already available, and we are always willing to try new materials for specialty projects! Check out our full list of available materials and pricing:
Use in ASTM and EPA Standard Methods
The CDC Biofilm Reactor® is instrumental in adhering to industry standards and best practices, recognized in ASTM and USEPA Standard Test Methods and Guidance:
Standard Test Method for Quantification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Grown with High Shear and Continuous Flow using CDC Biofilm Reactor:
Standard Practice for Preparing a Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm using the CDC Biofilm Reactor:
Standard Test Method for Evaluating Disinfectant Efficacy Against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Grown in CDC Biofilm Reactor Using Single Tube Method:
Antimicrobial Testing Methods & Procedures: Preparing a Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm using the CDC Biofilm Reactor:
Antimicrobial Testing Methods & Procedures: Single Tube Method for Determining the Efficacy of Disinfectants against Bacterial Biofilm:
