Microbiology Laboratory Safety

     Our first lesson that we had to learn was the safety involved with working in the microbiology lab. 

     The first thing we must do upon entering the lab is to put on a lab coat. Next, we must wash our hands with antibacterial soap and water. This must be done before and after lab. We then move to our bench area and decontaminate the surface that we will be working on. This also must be done before and after lab.

     Other information was told to us by Dr. Pathakamuri:

• Wear closed toe shoes and long pants 
• No food or beverages allowed in the laboratory; drinks should be placed on the shelf above the lab coats to keep them safe from contamination.
• Keep hands away from your mouth and eyes (basically away from your face)
• Place all contaminated tubes, plates, and waste materials in the appropriate receptacles

     After we learned these safety precautions, we were ready to begin discovering microbes!