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Instruments used in microbiology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Instruments used specially in microbiology include:[1][2]

Instrument list

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Instrument Uses
Autoclave used for sterilization of glass ware and media
Auto-destruct syringes specimen collection
Bijou bottle a cylindrical small glass bottle with a screw cap used as a culture medium holder
Biosafety cabinet used to work with dangerous organisms and to work sterile
Blood collection bottle to collect blood by venipuncture
Brittany a process of sterilization from spore-bearing bacteria
Bunsen burner used to work aseptic on the benc
Candle jar historically used for anaerobiosis; a lit candle was placed in as air-tight jar such that when it went out it would be because it used up all the available oxygen
Castaneda's medium / Castaneda's bottle used for simultaneous solid and liquid cultures in many bottles
Centrifuge to separate supernatant & pellet
Cragie tube see link
Desiccator to dry things
Durham's tube used to detect gas production in sugar fermentation media; the tube is placed in an inverted fashion so that gases produced get trapped in it and do not float away to the surface
Gas-pak releases gases to remove oxygen from a closed container, usually for anaerobiosis
Glass slide used to observe specimens under microscope
Haemagglutination plate for viral culture detection
Hungate Anaerobic tubes for culturing of anaerobic microbes
Incubator used for bacterial or fungal cultures
Inoculation loop: used to inoculate test samples into culture media for bacterial or fungal cultures, antibiograms, etc. Sterilized by passing through a blue flame.
Laminar flow cabinet used to work aseptic
Latex agglutination tiles for serological analysis
Lovibond comparator a type of a colorimeter
McCartney's bottle or Flat medical bottle for simultaneous solid and liquid cultures.
McIntosh and Filde's anaerobic jar production of anaerobic conditions for organisms that die in the presence of even little oxygen (anaerobiosis), e.g. tetanus bacteria
Microscope to observe microscopic specimens that cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Microtitre plates mostly used for ELISA
Microtome cuts prepared specimens for analysis under microscope
Nichrome wire loop used to inoculate test samples into culture media for bacterial or fungal cultures, antibiograms, etc.; sterilized by flaming to red hot before use
Petri dish/agar plate to act as a supporting container to hold the culture medium in
Platinum wire loop used to inoculate test samples into culture media for bacterial or fungal cultures, antibiograms, etc.; sterilized by flaming to red hot before use
Pre-sterilized disposable container specimen collection
Pre-sterilized disposable swabs / NIH swab / postnasal swab specimen collection
Pre-sterilized disposable syringe / auto-destruct syringes specimen collection
Roux culture bottle Bottle designed to use laying flat, useful for growing mass cultures and single or monolayer cultures.
Serological test slides like those for ASO, VDRL, rheumatoid factor provide links
Specimen Dish used to hold specimen or samples
Sterile loops used to inoculate test samples into culture media for bacterial or fungal cultures, antibiograms, etc.; not heated before use—these are disposable pre-sterilised
Thermal cycler used to amplify segments of DNA via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process.
Tissue culture bottles to grow or keep alive cells or tissue from a living organism, e.g. stem cells
Tuberculin syringe as a normal syringe or to perform Mantoux test
ULT freezer to freeze and storage of specimens
Universal container a cylindrical small glass bottle with a screw cap used as a culture medium holder
Vaccine bath used to heat vaccine containing medium gently to around 45-55 degrees Celsius during vaccine production
Vacuum pump to draw out the air from any closed chamber before pumping back CO2, O2 or N2, usually for anaerobiosis
VDRL rotator for VDRL test
(Laboratory) Water bath to incubate specimens or samples

As well as those "used in microbiological sterilization and disinfection" (see relevant section).

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References

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  1. ^ Textbook of Microbiology by Prof. C P Baveja, ISBN 81-7855-266-3
  2. ^ Textbook of Microbiology by Ananthanarayan and Panikar, ISBN 81-250-2808-0