Using the 2D pipette clinostat, small biological systems such as cells in suspension, blood, or spheroids can be exposed to simulated microgravity. The samples are loaded into 1 mL or 2 mL serological pipettes and rotated at a speed of up to 60 rpm, thus preventing sedimentation of the samples. 10 pipettes can be clinorotated at the same time. The clinostat can be placed in a cell culture incubator to provide controlled environmental conditions (e.g. 37°C, 5% CO2, >95% humidity). By using the online fixation function, the samples can be transferred into 15 mL falcons containing fixative solution directly during rotation, which prevents any re-adaptation artefacts in the experiment. Under the most commonly chosen experimental condition (60 rpm, pipette diameter 4 mm), a maximal residual acceleration of 4×10-3g is achieved at the outer rim of the pipette, which decreases towards the center.
