We explain necessary tools for current research.
Good scientific practices allow the protocols of the experiments carried out in the laboratories to be replicated in the future.
The replicability of the experiments adds to their credibility , since if our results cannot be obtained in another laboratory, our results lose reliability.
To achieve more easily replicable experiments, scientists use standardized and referable material in their laboratories, so that it can fit in the material and methods section of the articles that are published.
In this article we will talk about useful and necessary laboratory equipment for scientific work, as well as its different functions. We must take into account that the material to be used will depend on the field of research of the laboratory , some of them needing very specialized material that is usually expensive.
Laboratory material: useful and necessary instruments
In this article we will base ourselves mainly on laboratory material that we will find in a medical-biological research laboratory . In this type of laboratory, there is usually a need to work with small volumes of liquid (we are talking about micrometric scales, a million times smaller than a litre).
In addition, we must ensure the sterile conditions of our instruments to avoid contamination of our experiments. Being working with biological material, the risk of contamination is high and the safety and hygiene protocols are quite strict.
Below we list several of the elements necessary for the investigation.
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1. Protective gloves
Human beings are a potential source of contamination for experiments. Not only must we protect ourselves from the different materials that we are using, but in order to obtain satisfactory and consistent results we must try to keep contamination to a minimum.
For this reason , latex or nitrile gloves (more protective than latex) are usually used . The plastic waste generated by laboratories is high and difficult to recycle due to its risk of contamination, but today it is necessary to be able to advance science at a good pace.
2. Autoclave
Sterile conditions are essential in many types of laboratories, especially those where experiments can be easily contaminated. An autoclave is a device that allows laboratory instruments to be sterilized by steam at high temperatures .
The importance of the autoclave is redoubled when we work with biological samples or culture media. Reusable material that comes into contact with biological samples must be autoclaved to avoid contamination, while culture media need to be sterilized prior to experimental use.
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3.Bunsen burner
Named after its first promoter, the German chemist Robert Bunsen, it is a basic element in any chemical or biological laboratory. Powered by fuel gas, the bunsen burner produces an adjustable flame essential for research.
A bunsen burner allows manual equipment to be sterilized without the need to use an autoclave, in addition to generating a small “sterile area” in which we can work without worrying excessively about contaminating our samples. We can also use it to increase the temperature of compounds.
4. Precision balance
In the laboratory it is essential to know very accurately the quantity of products that we are handling. For this reason, precise scales are used, whose range will vary depending on the quantities of material that we need to weigh.
For example, in laboratories that use antibiotics it is necessary to weigh minute quantities for the preparation of the experiments, for which maximum precision balances are used.
5. Burettes
The burette is a cylindrical and hollow instrument, which indicates its volume precisely with markings on its exterior. They usually have a valve that allows regulating the speed at which the liquid that we have placed inside comes out.
Burettes are incredibly important, especially when working with aqueous solutions that need a specific pH . We manage to regulate the pH of our solutions more easily by using precise elements such as burettes, which allow us to add the pH-balancing elements very gradually without going overboard.
6. pH meter
There are several types of pH meters. Some are chemical, like strips of paper impregnated with substances that change color to indicate the pH of the solution we measure. Others work directly by measuring the amount of protons in solution, allowing a very accurate reading of the pH of the sample.
Machines that measure pH need regular calibration , which is done by exposing the machine to solutions of known pH and adjusting the measurement values.
7. Microscope
The microscope is essential in most biological laboratories. It allows us to clearly see structures that would normally be outside the range of vision for humans . They can be used, for example, to check tissue stains and draw conclusions from their observation.
Today there are microscopes with electronic components that allow images to be captured and digitized immediately, facilitating research.
8. Computer
The computer is basic in the vast majority of current jobs and it could not be less so in the scientific profession. There is an enormous multitude of specific computer tools for research, such as databases or statistical programs.
The computer also serves as a file for research, it allows us to consult the bibliography and communicate with other researchers to improve our results. It is completely essential .
9. Incubator oven
The incubators allow us to maintain a constant temperature for the correct growth of our biological samples. There are tissues and microorganisms that behave differently when growing at different temperatures , so incubators allow us to study these differences in behavior.
10. Microcentrifuges
Centrifugal force is used in various ways scientifically. Microcentrifuges are small devices in which we can place small tubes , usually between 0.5-2ml in volume.
With a microcentrifuge, the small liquid volumes used in certain laboratories are properly homogenized and improve the quality of our results.
11. Petri dishes
Biological research requires a support in which the tissues or cultures that we are studying can grow. Petri dishes are small containers with lids, usually both plastic and single-use .
The sterile medium for the cultivation of the species that we are going to study is placed in them. When working with bacteria, it is usual that we have bacterial monocultures in different petri dishes, to have a variety of biological samples separated and in order.
Bibliographic references
- Howorth P. (1986). Laboratory equipment. British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.), 293(6538), 51.
- Cheesbrough M. (2004). Selection of Basic Laboratory Equipment for Laboratories with Limited Resources – A Review. EJIFCC, 15(1), 17–18.
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