Laboratory Equipments and Maintenance

Laboratory equipments refer to the many tools and machines used by scientists working in a laboratory. Bunsen burners, centrifuges, and microscope, as well as specialty equipments such as operant conditioning chambers, spectrophotometers and calorimeters are just some of the many laboratory equipments available.

Laboratory equipments are generally used to perform an experiment or take measurements and gather data. Basically, laboratory equipments should be used in such a way that experimental errors are limited and appropriate readings and findings are acquired according to protocol.

Doing laboratory work is not an easy task. It requires a lot of skills and intelligence. Depending on the use of the equipment, it has to be set up using proper protocols and instructions. Using aseptic techniques, they must be calibrated in order to obtain accuracy and precision. For example, biorad cell counting machines must be calibrated using a standard solution and set at the right wavelength for them to perfectly function.

Taking care of these equipments is equally difficult. In general, laboratory equipments must be kept clean and calibrated to limit random errors and inaccurate findings. Experimental and theoretical errors must also be taken into account when reading the findings. Each piece of equipment has their own use instructions as given by the manufacturer, these instructions must be followed, while developing a customized protocol customized according to the manufacturer\'s specifications when using multiple equipments.

Equipments must be cleaned and sanitized so that the findings are consistent. For example, if test tubes are used, they have to be of the same size all throughout for each sample, and so on. Care and maintenance should really be taken into account when handling laboratory equipments, since they are very expensive. Microscopes, for example, cost around $2,000 and above, while some machines, such as the genetic sequencer, cost hundreds of dollars.