Microscopic Accessories
Inoculation Materials
Volumetric Devices
Glassware
Test Tube Holders
Laboratory accessories are basic tools being
Laboratory accessories are classified into three types:
A) Safety Accessories:
Safety Accessories:
Face Mask:
Eye Wear:
Lab coat:
Hand Gloves:
Shoes:
First Aid Kit:
B) Experimental Accessories:
Microscopic Slides:
Inoculation Loop:
L rod:
Petri - dishes
Culture flasks
Volumetric Devices:
C) Mechanical Accessories:
Microscopic slide
Cavity Slide
Coverslip :
This smaller sheet of glass, called a cover slip or cover glass, is usually between 18 and 25 mm on a side. The cover glass serves two purposes: (1) it protects the microscope's objective lens from contacting the specimen, and (2) it creates an even thickness (in wet mounts) for viewing.
Immersion Oil
An inoculation loop, also called a smear loop, inoculation wand or microstreaker, is a simple tool used mainly by microbiologists to retrieve an inoculum from a culture of microorganisms. The loop is used in the cultivation of microbes on plates by transferring inoculum for streaking. It can also be used to transfer microscopic organisms. Touching a broth or a culture plate will gather enough microbes for inoculation.[1]
The wire forms a small loop with a diameter of about 5 mm. The loop of wire at the tip may be made of platinum, tungsten or nichrome, the latter being inferior but less expensive. This loop removes a consistent amount of the liquid suspended inoculum by using the phenomenon of surface tension.
The inoculation loop is sterilized with flame (or another heat source) before and after each use. By doing this, the same tool can be reused in different experiments without fear of cross-contamination. After flame sterilization, the loop must be cooled so that the next cells the loop touches are not killed by the hot metal.
A close up of an inoculation needle
An inoculation needle is a laboratory equipment used in the field of microbiology to transfer and inoculate living microorganisms.[1] It is one of the most commonly implicated biological laboratory tools and can be disposable or re-usable.[1] A standard reusable inoculation needle is made from nichrome or platinum wire affixed to a metallic handle.[2][3] A disposable inoculation needle is often made from plastic resin. The base of the needle is dulled, resulting in a blunted end.[2][3]
Contents
[hide]
1 Uses
2 Operation
2.1 Sterilization
2.2 Transfer
2.3 Inoculation
3 See also
4 Gallery
5 References
Uses[edit]
Inoculation needles are primarily applied in microbiology for studying bacteria and fungi on semi-solid media. Biotechnology, cell biology and immunology may also utilize needle-oriented culture methods.[2][4][5]
The application of inoculation needles focuses on the inoculation and isolation of very defined regions of the cultures and the requirements of least disturbance between two closely crowded microbial colonies.[5] It can also be used in harpooning under a low magnification microscope.[6]
Streaking on streak plates, fish tail inoculation of slant cultures and the inoculation of stab cultures can be done with the inoculation needle.[1][7] Stab cultures specifically require the inoculation needle and is used to study cell motility, microbial oxygen requirements using Thioglycolate cultures, and the gelatin liquefaction of bacteria.[2][3][4]
Operation[edit]
Sterilization[edit]
Sterilization of an inoculation needle via alcohol burner
The inoculation needle is sterilized using the aseptic technique.[1][2][3][7] An open flame from an incinerator, a bunsen burner, or an alcohol burner is used to flame along the tip and the length of the needle that is to be in contact with the inoculum.[2][3] For ease of manipulation it is common practice to hold the needle with the dominant hand as if handling a pencil. The needle will be flamed at a downward angle through the flame’s inner cone until it is red-hot.[1] The downward angle will minimize the amount of microbial aerosols created.[1][2][3]
Inoculation needles must be sterilized prior and following contact with microbial life forms to ensure no contamination of the culture, the sterile mediums, and the surrounding environment.[1]
Transfer[edit]
In inoculation the inoculation needle is first employed to transfer microbial life forms from a culture to the needle to be used in further inoculating procedures. Sources of inoculum include broth cultures, slant cultures, and plate cultures.[1][2][3][5]
Broth culture
An inoculation needle is used in the transfer of microorganisms from a broth culture by first employing a vortex mixer to ensure a uniform suspension of the microorganisms within the broth.[1] Aseptic technique is then applied to the needle. Once the needle is flamed and sterilized the culture broth cap will be removed by the needle hand. The open end of the broth culture will be flamed to reduce risk of contamination and the creation of aerosols.[2][3]
While maintaining a fixed position of the needle, the culture broth will be moved up the needle until the needle tip is submerged.[3] During the withdrawal of the broth culture the needle and the needle hand should not move in order to prevent springing action.[3][5] The transfer from broth to needle concludes with flaming the open end of the broth culture and the closing of the lid while keeping the needle hand immobile.
Slant culture
In slant culture transfer, the inoculation needle will be first treated with the aseptic technique by flaming. The slant culture cap is then removed and secured using the needle hand. Flaming the open end of the slant culture will prevent contamination and the formation of aerosols.[2][3]
Transfer happens once the tip of the inoculation needle comes into contact with the agar surface of the slant culture. The inoculation needle should not move in the process. The agar slant culture will be moved up to the needle to prevent jostling of the needle.[1][3] Once the transfer is complete from slant culture to needle, the open end of the culture will be treated with flame and the cap will be replaced.
Plate culture
An inoculation needle is used in the transfer of microbial organisms from plate culture to needle by first sterilizing the needle to prevent contaminants. The lid of the agar plate culture is then removed to allow the needle access to the microorganisms cultured on the agar plate. The lid is held hovering above the culture plate to prevent contamination from the surrounding environment.[1]
The inoculation needle after incineration is cooled down on an uninoculated region of the agar plate culture.[1] Too much heat will kill off the inoculum during the direct contact of a flamed inoculation needle.[1] The inoculation needle is withdrawn from the agar culture after obtaining a small colony and the agar plate lid is then replaced.
Inoculation[edit]
Stab Cultures after inoculation by inoculation needle with E. coli from left to right: TSI, Soft nutrient, Simmons Citrate agar
Inoculation of the microorganisms will be done directly after the transfer from culture to inoculation needle. The inoculum is commonly inoculated to broth cultures, slant cultures, plate cultures, and stab cultures.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Broth culture
An inoculation needle is used in inoculating a sterile broth culture. Flaming the open end of the broth will keep the it sterile. The broth will be moved up to the needle so that the needle tip is submerged while maintaining the needle's original position.[1] Careful swirling of the needle can help the inoculation of the microorganism from the needle to the sterile broth.[1]
The inoculated broth culture is then removed from the needle. Aseptic technique is applied to the open end of the broth culture to prevent contaminants, and the needle is flamed for sterilization.
Slant culture
An inoculation needle is used to inoculate a slant culture in a fish tail inoculation technique.[1] After the microorganisms transfer from the original microbial culture to the inoculation needle the sterile slant culture is uncapped. The open end of the uncapped slant culture is then flamed. The slant will be positioned to move up the needle until the inoculation needle tip lightly come into contact with the base surface of the sterile media.[1][2][4] The inoculation needle inoculates the sterile agar by the manipulation of the media so that the needle tip grazes the agar surface in a zigzag pattern.[1] Aseptic technique is then applied to the withdrawn inoculation needle.
Plate culture
Inoculation of a plate culture is done through the streaking technique to make a streak plate.[1][2][4] After lifting the lid so that it hovers above the sterile agar plate, the inoculation needle will be streaked across the plate in controlled directions.[1] Microbial aerosols can be created from the hitting of the inoculation tip to the sides of the agar plate.[1][2][4] The inoculation needle is then withdrawn from the inoculated agar plate culture and flamed.
Stab culture
An inoculation needle is an essential tool in inoculating a stab culture.[4][7] A sterile stab culture cap is removed and the open end is flamed. The needle tip and its length is then pushed into the stab media and stopped once the needle tip reaches 0.5 inches away from the bottom of the stab media.[7] The inoculation needle is withdrawn from the media in the same direction and path that it was pushed into the stab media to prevent the wobbling effect that may disturbed the culture.[4][7] The needle is sterilized by flaming.
A cell spreader is a tool used in the biological field to smoothly spread cells and bacteria on a plate or a petri-dish. Spreaders can come in three different shapes: the triangular shape, the L-shape, and the T-shape. Spreaders can be made from glass, plastic, or metal, depending on their function.
Contents
[hide]
1 Uses
1.1 Sterilization
1.2 After uses
2 References
Uses[edit]
Drop cells or bacteria at the center of the dish. Researchers can then place the spreader on top of the dish and, without applying much pressure, swirl the spreader around on the dish to evenly distribute the cells or bacteria.[1]
Sterilization[edit]
Before using a cell spreader, if the spreader is made from glass or metal, researchers must sterilize the spreader by submerging it in alcohol or ethanol and later burning the alcohol off by placing the spreader in a Bunsen burner flame to eliminate microorganisms.[2]
After uses[edit]
After each use, the spreader should be back in alcohol or ethanol to keep it clean and prevent the spreader to contaminated with unwanted particles.
For disposable cell spreaders made of plastic, which are only used once, not necessarily sterilized and then discard them after uses.
Safety Accessories
Labcoats
Shoes
Handgloves
First Aid Kit
Experimental Accessories
Microscopic slides
Inoculation Loop
L rod
Petri dishes
Culture flasks
Micropipette
Mechanical Accessories
Laminar Air Flow Chamber
Autoclave
Hot Air Oven
Incubator
Inoculation Materials
Volumetric Devices
Glassware
Test Tube Holders
Laboratory accessories are basic tools being
Laboratory accessories are classified into three types:
A) Safety Accessories:
Safety Accessories:
Face Mask:
Eye Wear:
Lab coat:
Hand Gloves:
Shoes:
First Aid Kit:
B) Experimental Accessories:
Microscopic Slides:
Inoculation Loop:
L rod:
Petri - dishes
Culture flasks
Volumetric Devices:
Microscopic slide
A microscope slide is a thin flat piece of glass, typically 75 by 26 mm (3 by 1 inches) and about 1 mm thick, used to hold objects for examination under a microscope. Typically the object is mounted (secured) on the slide, and then both are inserted together in the microscope for viewing. This arrangement allows several slide-mounted objects to be quickly inserted and removed from the microscope, labeled, transported, and stored in appropriate slide cases or folders.
Microscope slides are often used together with a cover slip or cover glass, a smaller and thinner sheet of glass that is placed over the specimen. Slides are held in place on the microscope's stage by slide clips, slide clamps or a cross-table which is used to achieve precise, remote movement of the slide upon the microscope's stage (such as in an automated / computer operated system, or where touching the slide with fingers is inappropriate either due to the risk of contamination or lack of precision)
The origin of the concept was pieces of ivory or bone, containing specimens held between disks of transparent mica, that would slide into the gap between the stage and the objective.[1] These "sliders" were popular in Victorian England until the Royal Microscopical Society introduced the standardized glass microscope slide.[2]
Dimensions and types[edit]
A standard microscope slide measures about 75 mm by 25 mm (3″ by 1″) and is about 1 mm thick. A range of other sizes are available for various special purposes, such as 75 x 50 mm and for geological use, 46 x 27 mm for petrographic studies, and 48 x 28 mm for thin sections. Slides are usually made of common glass and their edges are often finely ground or polished.
Microscope slides are usually made of optical quality glass, such as soda lime glass or borosilicate glass, but specialty plastics are also used. Fused quartz slides are often used when ultraviolet transparency is important, e.g. in fluorescence microscopy.[3][4]
While plain slides are the most common, there are several specialized types. A concavity slide or cavity slide has one or more shallow depressions ("wells"), designed to hold slightly thicker objects, and certain samples such as liquids and tissue cultures.[5] Slides may have rounded corners for increased safety or robustness, or a cut-off corner for use with a slide clamp or cross-table, where the slide is secured by a spring-loaded curved arm contacting one corner, forcing the opposing corner of the slide against a right angled arm which does not move. If this system were used with a slide which did not incorporate these cut-off corners, the corners would chip and the slide could shatter.[5]
A graticule slide is marked with a grid of lines (for example, a 1 mm grid) that allows the size of objects seen under magnification to be easily estimated and provides reference areas for counting minute objects. Sometimes one square of the grid will itself be subdivided into a finer grid. Slides for specialized applications, such as hemocytometers for cell counting, may have various reservoirs, channels and barriers etched or ground on their upper surface.[6] Various permanent markings or masks may be printed, sand-blasted, or deposited on the surface by the manufacturer, usually with inert materials such as PTFE.[7]
Some slides have a frosted or enamel-coated area at one end, for labeling with a pencil or pen.[5] Slides may have special coatings applied by the manufacturer, e.g. for chemical inertness or enhanced cell adhesion. The coating may have a permanent electric charge to hold thin or powdery samples. Common coatings include poly-L-lysine, silanes, epoxy resins,[5][7] or even gold.[8]
Mounting[edit]
The mounting of specimens on microscope slides is often critical for successful viewing. The problem has been given much attention in the last two centuries and is a well-developed area with many specialized and sometimes quite sophisticated techniques.
Dry mount[edit]
In a dry mount, the simplest kind of mounting, the object is merely placed on the slide. A cover slip may be placed on top to protect the specimen and the microscope's objective and to keep the specimen still and pressed flat. This mounting can be successfully used for viewing specimens like pollen, feathers, hairs, etc. It is also used to examine particles caught in transparent membrane filters (e.g., in analysis of airborne dust).
Wet mount or temporary mount[edit]
In a wet mount, the specimen is placed in a drop of water or other liquid held between the slide and the cover slip by surface tension. This method is commonly used, for example, to view microscopic organisms that grow in pond water or other liquid media, especially when studying their movement and behavior. Care must be taken to exclude air bubbles that would interfere with the viewing and hamper the organisms' movements. An example of a temporary wet mount is a lactofuchsin mount, which provides both a sample mounting, as well as a fuchsine staining.
Prepared mount or permanent mount[edit]
For pathological and biological research, the specimen usually undergoes a complex histological preparation that involves fixing it to prevent decay, removing any water contained in it, replacing the water with paraffin, cutting it into very thin sections using a microtome, placing the sections on a microscope slide, staining the tissue using various stains to reveal specific tissue components, clearing the tissue to render it transparent and covering it with a coverslip and mounting medium.
Dry mount[edit]
Strew mounting describes the production of palynological microscope slides by suspending a concentrated sample in distilled water, placing the samples on a slide, and allowing the water to evaporate.[9]
Mounting media[edit]
The mounting medium is the solution in which the specimen is embedded, generally under a cover glass. Simple liquids like water or glycerol can be considered mounting media, though the term generally refers to compounds that harden into a permanent mount. Popular mounting media include Permount [10], and Hoyer's mounting medium and an alternative glycerine jelly [11] Properties of a good mounting medium include having a refractive index close to that of glass (1.518), non-reactivity with the specimen, stability over time without crystallizing, darkening, or changing refractive index, solubility in the medium the specimen was prepared in (either aqueous or non-polar, such as xylene or toluene), and not causing the specimen stain to fade or leach.[12]
Examples of mounting media[edit]
Aqueous[edit]
Popularly used in immunofluorescent cytochemistry where the fluorescence cannot be archived. The temporary storage must be done in a dark moist chamber. Common examples are:
- Glycerol-PBS (9:1) with antiquench e.g. any of the following[13]
- p-phenylenediamine
- propyl gallate
- 1,4-Diazabicyclo (2,2,2)-octane (DABCO) (very popular)
- Ascorbic acid
- Mowiol or Gelvatol
- Gelatin
- Mount™
- Vectashield
- Prolong Gold
- CyGEL / CyGEL Sustain (to immobilize living, unfixed cells and organisms)
Non-Aqueous[edit]
Used when a permanent mount is required
- Permount™ (toluene and a polymer of a-pinene, b-pinene, dipentene, b-phellandrene)
- Canada balsam
- DPX (Distrene 80 - a commercial polystyrene, a Plasticizer e.g. dibutyl phthalate and Xylene)
- DPX new (with Xylene but free of carcinogenic Dibutyl phthalate)
- Entellan™ (with Toluene)
- Entellan™ new
- Hempstead Halide™ Hoyer's Medium (a proprietary formulation of the traditional Hoyer's Medium containing 60% Chloral, but free of known carcinogens)
- Neo-Mount™ (compatible with aliphatic Neo-Clear® but not compatible with aromatic solvents like Xylene)
Contrasting with other types/meanings of "mounting"[edit]
In contrast to mounting necessary for glass coverslips, somewhat similar mounting can be done for bulkier specimen preservation in glass containers in museums. However an entirely different type of mounting is done for sample preparation, which can be for biological or nonbiological materials and is further subdivided into "hot"(compressive) and "cold" (castable) type mounting processes.[14][15] Though named "mounting", it is more akin to embedding in histology and should not be confused with the mounting described above. The term mounting in other fields has numerous other meanings.
Cavity Slide
Coverslip :
This smaller sheet of glass, called a cover slip or cover glass, is usually between 18 and 25 mm on a side. The cover glass serves two purposes: (1) it protects the microscope's objective lens from contacting the specimen, and (2) it creates an even thickness (in wet mounts) for viewing.
Immersion Oil
An inoculation loop, also called a smear loop, inoculation wand or microstreaker, is a simple tool used mainly by microbiologists to retrieve an inoculum from a culture of microorganisms. The loop is used in the cultivation of microbes on plates by transferring inoculum for streaking. It can also be used to transfer microscopic organisms. Touching a broth or a culture plate will gather enough microbes for inoculation.[1]
The wire forms a small loop with a diameter of about 5 mm. The loop of wire at the tip may be made of platinum, tungsten or nichrome, the latter being inferior but less expensive. This loop removes a consistent amount of the liquid suspended inoculum by using the phenomenon of surface tension.
The inoculation loop is sterilized with flame (or another heat source) before and after each use. By doing this, the same tool can be reused in different experiments without fear of cross-contamination. After flame sterilization, the loop must be cooled so that the next cells the loop touches are not killed by the hot metal.
A close up of an inoculation needle
An inoculation needle is a laboratory equipment used in the field of microbiology to transfer and inoculate living microorganisms.[1] It is one of the most commonly implicated biological laboratory tools and can be disposable or re-usable.[1] A standard reusable inoculation needle is made from nichrome or platinum wire affixed to a metallic handle.[2][3] A disposable inoculation needle is often made from plastic resin. The base of the needle is dulled, resulting in a blunted end.[2][3]
Contents
[hide]
1 Uses
2 Operation
2.1 Sterilization
2.2 Transfer
2.3 Inoculation
3 See also
4 Gallery
5 References
Uses[edit]
Inoculation needles are primarily applied in microbiology for studying bacteria and fungi on semi-solid media. Biotechnology, cell biology and immunology may also utilize needle-oriented culture methods.[2][4][5]
The application of inoculation needles focuses on the inoculation and isolation of very defined regions of the cultures and the requirements of least disturbance between two closely crowded microbial colonies.[5] It can also be used in harpooning under a low magnification microscope.[6]
Streaking on streak plates, fish tail inoculation of slant cultures and the inoculation of stab cultures can be done with the inoculation needle.[1][7] Stab cultures specifically require the inoculation needle and is used to study cell motility, microbial oxygen requirements using Thioglycolate cultures, and the gelatin liquefaction of bacteria.[2][3][4]
Operation[edit]
Sterilization[edit]
Sterilization of an inoculation needle via alcohol burner
The inoculation needle is sterilized using the aseptic technique.[1][2][3][7] An open flame from an incinerator, a bunsen burner, or an alcohol burner is used to flame along the tip and the length of the needle that is to be in contact with the inoculum.[2][3] For ease of manipulation it is common practice to hold the needle with the dominant hand as if handling a pencil. The needle will be flamed at a downward angle through the flame’s inner cone until it is red-hot.[1] The downward angle will minimize the amount of microbial aerosols created.[1][2][3]
Inoculation needles must be sterilized prior and following contact with microbial life forms to ensure no contamination of the culture, the sterile mediums, and the surrounding environment.[1]
Transfer[edit]
In inoculation the inoculation needle is first employed to transfer microbial life forms from a culture to the needle to be used in further inoculating procedures. Sources of inoculum include broth cultures, slant cultures, and plate cultures.[1][2][3][5]
Broth culture
An inoculation needle is used in the transfer of microorganisms from a broth culture by first employing a vortex mixer to ensure a uniform suspension of the microorganisms within the broth.[1] Aseptic technique is then applied to the needle. Once the needle is flamed and sterilized the culture broth cap will be removed by the needle hand. The open end of the broth culture will be flamed to reduce risk of contamination and the creation of aerosols.[2][3]
While maintaining a fixed position of the needle, the culture broth will be moved up the needle until the needle tip is submerged.[3] During the withdrawal of the broth culture the needle and the needle hand should not move in order to prevent springing action.[3][5] The transfer from broth to needle concludes with flaming the open end of the broth culture and the closing of the lid while keeping the needle hand immobile.
Slant culture
In slant culture transfer, the inoculation needle will be first treated with the aseptic technique by flaming. The slant culture cap is then removed and secured using the needle hand. Flaming the open end of the slant culture will prevent contamination and the formation of aerosols.[2][3]
Transfer happens once the tip of the inoculation needle comes into contact with the agar surface of the slant culture. The inoculation needle should not move in the process. The agar slant culture will be moved up to the needle to prevent jostling of the needle.[1][3] Once the transfer is complete from slant culture to needle, the open end of the culture will be treated with flame and the cap will be replaced.
Plate culture
An inoculation needle is used in the transfer of microbial organisms from plate culture to needle by first sterilizing the needle to prevent contaminants. The lid of the agar plate culture is then removed to allow the needle access to the microorganisms cultured on the agar plate. The lid is held hovering above the culture plate to prevent contamination from the surrounding environment.[1]
The inoculation needle after incineration is cooled down on an uninoculated region of the agar plate culture.[1] Too much heat will kill off the inoculum during the direct contact of a flamed inoculation needle.[1] The inoculation needle is withdrawn from the agar culture after obtaining a small colony and the agar plate lid is then replaced.
Inoculation[edit]
Stab Cultures after inoculation by inoculation needle with E. coli from left to right: TSI, Soft nutrient, Simmons Citrate agar
Inoculation of the microorganisms will be done directly after the transfer from culture to inoculation needle. The inoculum is commonly inoculated to broth cultures, slant cultures, plate cultures, and stab cultures.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Broth culture
An inoculation needle is used in inoculating a sterile broth culture. Flaming the open end of the broth will keep the it sterile. The broth will be moved up to the needle so that the needle tip is submerged while maintaining the needle's original position.[1] Careful swirling of the needle can help the inoculation of the microorganism from the needle to the sterile broth.[1]
The inoculated broth culture is then removed from the needle. Aseptic technique is applied to the open end of the broth culture to prevent contaminants, and the needle is flamed for sterilization.
Slant culture
An inoculation needle is used to inoculate a slant culture in a fish tail inoculation technique.[1] After the microorganisms transfer from the original microbial culture to the inoculation needle the sterile slant culture is uncapped. The open end of the uncapped slant culture is then flamed. The slant will be positioned to move up the needle until the inoculation needle tip lightly come into contact with the base surface of the sterile media.[1][2][4] The inoculation needle inoculates the sterile agar by the manipulation of the media so that the needle tip grazes the agar surface in a zigzag pattern.[1] Aseptic technique is then applied to the withdrawn inoculation needle.
Plate culture
Inoculation of a plate culture is done through the streaking technique to make a streak plate.[1][2][4] After lifting the lid so that it hovers above the sterile agar plate, the inoculation needle will be streaked across the plate in controlled directions.[1] Microbial aerosols can be created from the hitting of the inoculation tip to the sides of the agar plate.[1][2][4] The inoculation needle is then withdrawn from the inoculated agar plate culture and flamed.
Stab culture
An inoculation needle is an essential tool in inoculating a stab culture.[4][7] A sterile stab culture cap is removed and the open end is flamed. The needle tip and its length is then pushed into the stab media and stopped once the needle tip reaches 0.5 inches away from the bottom of the stab media.[7] The inoculation needle is withdrawn from the media in the same direction and path that it was pushed into the stab media to prevent the wobbling effect that may disturbed the culture.[4][7] The needle is sterilized by flaming.
A cell spreader is a tool used in the biological field to smoothly spread cells and bacteria on a plate or a petri-dish. Spreaders can come in three different shapes: the triangular shape, the L-shape, and the T-shape. Spreaders can be made from glass, plastic, or metal, depending on their function.
Contents
[hide]
1 Uses
1.1 Sterilization
1.2 After uses
2 References
Uses[edit]
Drop cells or bacteria at the center of the dish. Researchers can then place the spreader on top of the dish and, without applying much pressure, swirl the spreader around on the dish to evenly distribute the cells or bacteria.[1]
Sterilization[edit]
Before using a cell spreader, if the spreader is made from glass or metal, researchers must sterilize the spreader by submerging it in alcohol or ethanol and later burning the alcohol off by placing the spreader in a Bunsen burner flame to eliminate microorganisms.[2]
After uses[edit]
After each use, the spreader should be back in alcohol or ethanol to keep it clean and prevent the spreader to contaminated with unwanted particles.
For disposable cell spreaders made of plastic, which are only used once, not necessarily sterilized and then discard them after uses.
Safety Accessories
Labcoats
Shoes
Handgloves
First Aid Kit
Experimental Accessories
Microscopic slides
Inoculation Loop
L rod
Petri dishes
Culture flasks
Micropipette
Mechanical Accessories
Laminar Air Flow Chamber
Autoclave
Hot Air Oven
Incubator