We talked about the different places of experimentation.
The oldest known laboratory belonged to Pythagoras of Samos, where he analyzed sounds from different instruments, trying to define certain mathematical rules about sounds.
There is an enormous variety of types of laboratory, since each one of them is specifically suitable for the type of research that will be carried out, according to both the objective and needs of the research , as well as the scientific field in which they are involved. are framed.
In this article we will talk about the different types of laboratories that you can find, depending on their objectives and characteristics.
- It might interest you: “Laboratory material: 11 instruments and tools and their function”
Laboratory characteristics
The need for experimentation has existed long before the term “science” was used. In fact, the oldest known laboratory reportedly belonged to the famous ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras of Samos, around the 5th century BC. In it, Pythagoras analyzed the sound of different instruments and objects, to draw conclusions about acoustic concepts such as frequencies.
Today we could say that there are practically as many types of laboratory as there are types of experimentation. They are highly specialized spaces, where all aspects, from the architecture of the rooms to the temperature or the amount of contaminating particles can be controlled, to prevent them from influencing the research that is carried out.
Each laboratory will contain in its interior a “stock” of laboratory materials and instruments necessary for research. In biological laboratories, for example, we can expect the presence of incubation apparatus to facilitate the growth of the organisms under study. In analytical laboratories, the presence of highly specialized instruments is usually necessary to discern the composition of the object of study.
What types of laboratory exist?
The vast majority of aspects of the laboratory are amenable to control to accommodate research tasks. Even within the same field of knowledge or specialization, there may be subtle but necessary differences between laboratories.
Despite the enormous variety of types of laboratory that we could extract from this situation, we can comfortably divide them according to their objectives and most notable characteristics. We find, for example:
1. Analysis and Quality Control Laboratories
This type of laboratory appears due to the need for scientific spaces where the components or the quality of the different objects of study are analyzed . Within them, analyzes are carried out that depend both on the object of study and on the characteristics that are being monitored.
Although this type of laboratory is usually associated with chemical practices, physics or biological sciences, such as microbiology, are not strangers to quality control. Water analysis laboratories, for example, necessary for the sanitary and environmental control of water resources, require chemical as well as physical and biological knowledge to detect contaminants in water.
2. Biosafety Laboratories
Within biological research, especially that which deals with viruses and bacteria, there is a need to work with pathogenic agents that could be a serious risk to public health , in the event that they leave the laboratory environment and come into contact with the environment. rest of the population.
Biosafety laboratories are those research places equipped and built with the specific purpose of avoiding dangerous contamination that could occur during the course of research. These are classified into 4 levels of biosafety , according to the dangerousness of the organisms studied and the methodological and structural decisions that are carried out to prevent them from causing harm to the population.
The lowest level of biosafety is level 1 , where work is carried out with organisms of little danger, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, yeasts. Even so, the material of this laboratory and the waste that it generates must be disinfected before being discarded, to avoid possible unforeseen consequences. It is the most common in high schools and universities.
In contrast, the level 4 biosafety laboratory represents the highest level of security and isolation that a biological laboratory can have. It is where they work with biological agents that are very harmful both at the level of individual life, as well as representing a great risk to society due to their contagious capacity, such as the Ebola virus . Within them, it is necessary to use insulating suits and many other security measures that protect both scientists and the population.
In order to work in laboratories with a high level of biosafety, specific training is necessary on the characteristics of the laboratory and the safety measures involved in handling highly infectious agents.
3. Clinical Laboratories
Clinical laboratories, also known as medical laboratories , are those whose main objective is the analysis of various biological samples, such as blood or urine, to help in the diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of certain diseases.
In this type of laboratory, the search for scientific knowledge is not usually the priority. They are usually faculties linked to health services , where science is applied to improve the quality of treatment for patients. We can find several specializations within clinical laboratories, depending on their object of study.
Within the different categories of analysis that are carried out, we can find, for example:
- Microbiological analysis, for the detection of pathogens
- Biochemical analyses, for example to control blood composition
- Molecular diagnostics, such as DNA analysis of patients
- Reproduction analysis, typical in fertility clinics, for example controlling gametes such as sperm.
4. Production Laboratories
The step from research to industrial production is not easy. Some processes that work perfectly on a small scale seem to fall apart when carried out on larger scales and vice versa.
The objective of this type of laboratory is mainly the study and design of the implementation of different technologies and experimental industrial processes, so that they are viable on a larger industrial scale. These are usually small pilot plants, in which production is gradually scaled up, while solutions are sought to problems that arise as a result of technological implementation.
We find production laboratories in industries such as pharmaceuticals, technology or biotechnology, for example. They are a necessary step between research and commercial production.
5. Clean Rooms
Cleanrooms do not exist solely in the context of the laboratory . They are places manufactured with the intention of maintaining very low levels of contamination, which is necessary, for example, in the manufacture of surgical medical material, but also in the field of manufacturing certain electronic components, such as those that require semiconductors.
These rooms also require a particular clothing, which their employees wear to minimize the contamination they generate, either by the microorganisms that they carry and contain, or by the particles of skin that we are shedding, which form dust.
Cleanrooms even control air flow and pressure . The air that enters this type of room is filtered prior to its introduction into the clean room. In addition, an attempt is made to maintain a positive gradient of air pressure inside the room, that is, to ensure that the air in the room has more pressure and prevents the entry of external air into the room, which is less pressurized.
It is very important, for example, in research and production destined for space, such as satellites.
6. Research and Development Laboratories
Most labs that we associate with the term “laboratory” fall into the research and development category. In fact, biosafety laboratories are considered as research and development (R&D) laboratories.
Basic research is necessary for the advancement of science, within most fields of knowledge. This is carried out in all types of laboratories, such as chemical, physical, biological, technological, etc. Its characteristics will vary enormously according to the field of research, the experimental needs and the objective that is being pursued.
Bibliographic references
- World’s Oldest Laboratory?(1990) Analytical Chemistry 1990 62 (13), 701A-701A DOI: 10.1021/ac00212a716.
- Bertholf, R. (2016). Laboratory Structure and Function. Clinical Core Laboratory Testing, 1-23. doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-7794-6_1.
- Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition | CDC Laboratory Portal | CDC. (2019). Cdc.gov. Recuperado el 21 de Septiembre de 2019 de www.cdc.gov/labs/BMBL.html.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.