This document provides an introduction to basic microbiology laboratory instruments. It describes the following instruments: autoclave, which uses high pressure steam to sterilize equipment; hydroclave, an engineering system that cures advanced composites under high pressure and temperature; hot dry air sterilization, which uses dry air to destroy pyrogens; laminar air flows, which create particle-free work environments; incubator, which maintains optimal conditions for growth; microscope; beaker; spatula; test tube; and weighing balance. Each instrument is defined and its purpose and a figure are provided.

1. MICROBIOLOGY
LAB REPORT -01
TOPIC: INTRODUCTION TO A BASIC
MICROBILOGY LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS.
Submitted By
ID: 2015-1-77-033
Date: 30 July 2015

2. Autoclave: It work in a similar way like pressure cookers, but they're typically used in a more
extreme form of cooking: to blast the bugs and germs on things with steam long enough to sterilize them.
The extra pressure in an autoclave means that water boils at a temperature higher than its normal boiling
point—roughly 20°C hotter—so it holds and carries more heat and kills microbes more effectively. A
lengthy blast of high-pressure steam is much more effective at penetrating and sterilizing things than a quick
wipe in ordinary hot water! An autoclave is a pressure chamber used to sterilize equipment and supplies by
subjecting them to high pressure saturated steam at 121 °C (249°F) for around 15–20 minutes depending on
the size of the load and the contents.
Figure: Autoclave
Hydroclave: A hydroclave is a complex engineering system essentially used for curing
components fabricated from advanced composites under conditions of high pressure and temperature.
Figure: Hydroclave
Hot dry air sterilization : It is generally used for materials that tolerate high temperatures,
generally metal or glass. It is the method of choice whenever possible, as the glass surface, being in direct
contact with the product, can be the origin of pyrogenic contamination, and dry air is an effective agent for
destroying pyrogens. It also has the advantage that the processed material emerges dry at the end of the
cycle.

3. Figure: Dry air sterilization
Laminar air flows : Laminar Flow can maintain a working area devoid of contaminants. Many
medical and research laboratories require sterile working environments in order to carry out specialised
work. Laminar Flow Cabinets can provide the solution. Laminar Flow Cabinets create particle-free working
environments by projecting air through a filtration system and exhausting it across a work surface in a
laminar or uni-directional air stream. They provide an excellent clean air environment for a number of
laboratory requirements. Laminar Flow Cabinets are suitable for a variety of applications and especially
where an individual clean air environment is required for smaller items, e.g. particle sensitive electronic
devices.In the laboratory, Laminar Flow Cabinets are commonly used for specialised work.Laminar Flow
Cabinets can be tailor made to the specific requirements of the laboratory and are also ideal for general lab
work, especially in the medical, pharmaceutical, electronic and industrial sectors.
Figure: Air flow cabinet
Incubator:Incubator an apparatus for maintaining optimal conditions for growth and development,
such as temperature and humidity, especially one used in the early care of premature infants, or one used for
cultures. The primary purpose of the incubator used for preterm newborns is to surround the infant with
some of the environmental conditions normally provided in the uterus and necessary until he reaches
approximately the level of development of a full-term infant.The temperature within the incubator is
regulated so that the infant's temperature is maintained between 35.5° and 36.6°C (96° to 98°F). Humidity is
kept at 50 to 60 per cent unless there is respiratory difficulty, in which case the humidity may be raised as
high as 85 to 100 per cent. Oxygen is added in concentrations not exceeding 30 to 40 per cent only as long
as the infant is cyanotic because of the danger of RETROLENTAL FIBROPLASIA with high concentrations of
oxygen.

4. Figure: Incubator
Microscope: It an optical instrument having a magnifying lens or a combination of lenses for
inspecting objects too small to be seen or too small to be seen distinctly and in detail by the unaided eye.
Figure: Microscope
Beaker: Beaker are useful as a reaction container or to hold liquid orsolid samples. They are also used
to catch liquids from titrations and filtrates from filtering operations.
Figure: Beaker

5. Spatula: A spatula is used to take and handle small quantities of solid chemicals. It serves as a
spoon.Laboratory spatulas are ideal for removing chemicals or compounds from small bottles, and for
applying cultures or other substances to slides for microscope viewing. You can also use them to scrape
away samples of biological materials, or chemical precipitates and residues. Many brands are resistant to
acids, bases and solvents, which makes them safe for use in a broader spectrum of compounds.
Figure: Spatula
Test tube: Test tubes are usually made of borosilicate glass so they can resist reaction with chemicals
and withstand temperature changes without breaking. Some test tubes are made from plastic and in most
cases they are disposed of after use unlike the ones made from glass.
Figure: Test tube
Weighing Balance: An weighing balance is a class of balance designed to measure small mass
in the sub-milligram range. The measuring pan of an analytical balance (0.1 mg or better) is inside a
transparent enclosure with doors so that dust does not collect and so any air currents in the room do not
affect the balance's operation. This enclosure is often called a draft shield. The use of a mechanically
vented balance safety enclosure, which has uniquely designed acrylic airfoils, allows a smooth turbulence-
free airflow that prevents balance fluctuation and the measure of mass down to 1 μg without fluctuations
or loss of product.
Figure: Weighing balance