Safety considerations in the Microbiology laboratory are crucial for protecting personnel. However, it is also important to think about “protecting” the microorganisms in the experiment that you are performing and not contaminating your culture. Lab workers who are carriers, or who are sick, can contaminate cultures. A pure culture could also be contaminated with another lab strain. What precautions must be taken to prevent contamination of a pure culture?

Question

A) Use of gloves, disinfecting gloves between handling cultures, handling cultures only in a biosafety cabinet, and using lab materials for only 2-3 cultures prior to disposal or autoclaving
B) Use of gloves, disinfecting gloves between handling cultures, handling cultures on an open benchtop, use lab materials for only one culture before disposal or autoclaving
C) Use of gloves, disinfecting gloves between handling cultures, handling cultures only in a biosafety cabinet, use lab materials for only one culture before disposal or autoclaving

Answer 1

C) Use of gloves, disinfecting gloves between handling cultures, handling cultures only in a biosafety cabinet, use lab materials for only one culture before disposal or autoclaving