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Starting your own biolab: Difference between revisions
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This page describes the equipment you will need to start up your own microbiology lab. | |||
Although this list focuses on equipment and reagents, there is a lot more to a lab than this. For more information, have a look at: | |||
* Our [https://github.com/london-biohackers/biohackspace-sops/blob/master/index.rst Standard Operating Procedures]; | |||
* The [[BioLab_Manual]], containing a lot of useful information; and | |||
* The many other pages in [[:Category:Biohacking]] on this Wiki. | |||
== Essential equipment == | == Essential equipment == | ||
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=== Personal protective equipment === | === Personal protective equipment === | ||
The purpose of PPE is to prevent harmful substances from contacting your skin or eyes. In addition to lab basics (such as enclosed shoes), we use: | |||
* Labcoats | * Labcoats | ||
* Glasses or goggles | * Glasses or goggles | ||
* Disposable gloves. We use nitrile gloves. | * Disposable gloves. We use nitrile gloves. In addition to preventing contamination of your hands with your sample, nitrile gloves can be disinfected to prevent contamination of your sample. | ||
=== Thermal cycler === | === Thermal cycler === | ||
A thermal cycler (or PCR machine) is generally used to amplify segments of DNA, for example to test for the presence of certain sequences. | A thermal cycler (or PCR machine) is generally used to amplify segments of DNA, for example to test for the presence of certain sequences. | ||
Our current thermal cyclers were acquired through donations, but they are available | Our current thermal cyclers were acquired through donations, but they are available cheaply on eBay. The job of a thermal cycler is to cycle through temperatures ranging between (typically) 4 and 95 degrees C. Older ones are large and bulky and are, essentially, miniature refrigerators stuck to miniature space heaters. Newer ones are based on Peltier-effect blocks. There are also open-source DIY alternatives such as OpenPCR. The open-source options have the advantage of a well-documented protocol for computer control. Second-hand commercial units are, however, much cheaper. | ||
=== Electrophoresis tank and power supply === | === Electrophoresis tank and power supply === | ||
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* Petri dishes: we use plastic ones between 80 and 140mm. | * Petri dishes: we use plastic ones between 80 and 140mm. | ||
=== Chemicals for inactivation and disposal === | === Chemicals for aseptic procedure, inactivation, and disposal === | ||
We use 70% ethanol solution as disinfectant. | |||
For general lab disposal we have settled on Virkon (in a [https://github.com/london-biohackers/biohackspace-sops/blob/master/lbl04007.rst "kill bin"]). For inactivation of ethidium bromide (or equipment contaminated by it), we use bleach as part of the [https://github.com/london-biohackers/biohackspace-sops/blob/master/lbl09001.rst Armour protocol]. GMOs are autoclaved. | For general lab disposal we have settled on Virkon (in a [https://github.com/london-biohackers/biohackspace-sops/blob/master/lbl04007.rst "kill bin"]). For inactivation of ethidium bromide (or equipment contaminated by it), we use bleach as part of the [https://github.com/london-biohackers/biohackspace-sops/blob/master/lbl09001.rst Armour protocol]. GMOs are autoclaved. | ||
[[Category:Biohacking]] | [[Category:Biohacking]] | ||
