Culturing in a biosafety cabinet

A sterile work area for microbiological culturing can be created around a Bunsen burner or in a biosafety cabinet. The techniques user to work aseptically near a Bunsen burner and in a biosafety cabinet are similar. Open flames can not be used in a biosafety cabinet. All equipment must, therefore, be pre-sterilized. It is also important to understand the airflow in the biosafety cabinet to avoid blocking the airflow and allowing air to mix.

The key steps to using the biosafety cabinet correctly are outlined below.

Bunsen Burner safety measures

• Tie back long hair and avoid loose items of clothing near the flame
• Gloves should never be worn, instead, wash hands thoroughly before and after working with microbiological samples or disinfect hands with hand sanitizer
• Ethanol should only be used while the Bunsen burner is off

Preparing the biosafety cabinet

• Establish laminar airflow and decontaminate surfaces before starting work
• Ensure all items in the biosafety cabinet have been pre-sterilized

Culturing technique

• Place only necessary items in the biosafety cabinet and maintain the minimum distance from the sash to avoid disturbing the laminar airflow
• Organize materials in such a way that movements are minimized
• Keep contaminated items away from sterile items and dispose of contaminated materials correctly as soon as possible

Decontamination and waste disposal

• After completing work, dispose of all contaminated materials, and decontaminate the surface
• Change gloves