Cell Culture FAQ: How to work at the BSC?

In a cell culture lab, the biological safety cabinet is meant to be a sterile (contamination-free) working area where cell culture vessels and tubes with sterile reagents can be opened without the risk of being contaminated.

The reality in many labs looks different: the hood is cluttered with pipettes, tip boxes, tube racks, waste containers and all the stuff people think they might need at some point during the workflow.

Having every item needed for the experiment at hand, but not overcrowding your work space, is the key. Every piece of equipment and every movement causes turbulences within the laminar air flow that is supposed to keep contaminants outside the hood.

So don’t overcrowd your work space and avoid hectic movements with your arms. Never block the air vents and ensure that constant air flow is maintained. And keep in mind that using a Bunsen burner in the hood does not give any extra protection. On the contrary, the open flame disrupts the laminar airflow and therefore eliminates the protection and safety of the working space.

Organization of Your Biosafety Cabinet

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• Cell Culture FAQ: What is the best test method for mycoplasma?
• Cell Culture FAQ: How to reduce the edge effect in plates?
• How to prevent contamination in the cell culture lab
• Video: How to organize your biological safety cabinet for sterile work
• Video: How to seed cells correctly