LBL04004

Using The Incubator

Author: S. Thompson	Approved by: S. Thompson	SOP No. LBL04004
Signed:	Signed:	Effective from:
Date:	Date:	Last edited:

1. Purpose

This describes the usage of the BioLab incubator.

2. Scope

This relates only to the small black bench top incubator.

3. Responsibilities

This applies to anyone using this piece of equipment. The user should avoid contaminating the work of others when operating the incubator.

5. Related documents

Several other procedures require the use of the incubator, see SOP contents for further details.

6. Procedures

6.1 The incubator consists of a front door, a digital temperature indicator and 4 buttons.

   6.1.1 The top left button powers on and off.
   6.1.2 The digital temperature display is in the top middle and gives a temperature approximately 2 degrees higher than the typical temperature measured within the incubator's chamber.
   6.1.3 At the top right of the front of the incubator are 3 buttons.
         6.1.3.1 The first of these on the left has an up arrow and increases the temperature setting.
         6.1.3.2 The next has a down arrow and decreases the temperature setting.
         6.1.3.3 The furthest to the right has a bulb symbol and switches the internal light on and off.

6.2 When opening the door of the incubator it is likely that the temperature inside the chamber drops significantly (when set above room temperature) so the user should be concious of how this may effect other experiments in progress within and minimise the amount of time left open.

6.3 The user should clean up any spillage which might occur when cultures are taken from or placed in the incubator.

6.4 The incubator is adapted with an electronic thermometer probe inside the chamber and the reading from this is calculated from the integrated Raspberry Pi controller. Currently the temperature value can be obtained from the BioBot on FreeNode IRC, channel #london-biohackers by typing ".incubator" (without quotes) in the channel.

7. Resources

The general hackspace wiki for the incubator: https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Incubator