Common Laboratory Apparatus and Equipment

Lab Coats -- I like mine to fit loosely. They always seem to be boring white, so if you own your own, you can add embroidery.

Lab coats are important, because they protect your clothes from getting contaminated, ruined, or just dirty.

I keep certain things in my lab coat pocket at all times. People make fun of me, but then I always have these things on hand. In my pocket is a pair of scissors, and tweezers. I need them a lot.

Test Tubes are almost always plastic these days. You may need glass test tubes if you need to reduce protein adhesion, which you can do by coating with certain substances like silicon. However, most applications today can be accomplished by testubes made of polypropylene, polycarbonate or polystyrene.

• Laboratory Glassware should include beakers (chemical cups), Erlenmeyer flasks, graduated cylinders, storage bottles (preferably autoclavable), and funnels. If you're starting out a new lab, you can find "starter sets" that contai one of each common beaker size, for instance.

• Test tube racks for your test tubes now come in many colors and shapes and sizes. I highly recommend having each lab member using a separate color of test tube holders. Then, when you walk into a room, you can really quickly spot where you left your rack.
  

  For microcentrifuge tubes (Eppendorf tubes) and other small tubes, nothing beats the old 96 well fractionation racks. Nothing. I've tried a lot that look like great ideas, but none of them work as well. The old 96 well racks hold the tubes at exactly the right height. Other racks usually suspend them from their tops, or totally obscure the tube in the holder.

  
  

• Laboratory balances need to be kept clean for safety as well as functionality. You will need an old fashioned balance with weights if you use centrifuges a lot. And for making solutions, have an analytical balance. Care and feeding of your laboratory balances is important.

• Laboratory stools should be chosen with safety in mind as well as comfort. Back in the day when a lot of us worked with radioactivity, I insisted on non-upholstered lab stools. That is, something that is easily cleaned by being wiped off with paper towels and cleansers. I still insist on it, as you never know when you might spill something.

• Lab Safety Supplies need to be kept in a central area, kept up to date, and be easily accessible. Laboratory safety supplies must include eye washes, chemical absorption pillows, bandages, iodine, and whatever is required by your safety department. There are some very nice "neutralize anything" compounds out now that can save lives in an emergency.

My first experience with micro pipets was in a biochemistry lab. They were Gilsons. The next lab I worked in used Gilson pipettes. And the next. So I thought that this must be the best. They certainly aren't the worst.

One of the worst I've worked with is Nichiryo pipettes. The 1ml blue tip pipette goes out of calibration very quickly and costs almost as much as a new one to fix. I hate the locking mechanism. The barrels get very squeaky and hard to pump more quickly than others.

I had to use that brand when an order for Gilsons was vetoed for cheapo Nichiriyo. Ick. If you can avoid them, do.

The new Finnpipettes look really great, but they're so light I'm almost afraid of them. And they are very expensive.

Genex makes a nice pipette, but be sure you're getting theirs and not a look-alike knock off that drops calibration quickly.

My current favored pipettors are by Eppendorf. I have the variable volume pipettors, a 1ml, a 100 microliter, and a 10 microliter volume.

When you purchase Eppendorf pipettors, you get "EP points" which can be redeemed through their EP membership site. It's kind of fun to think you'll ever have enough points to get a free mug.