Instruments Used in Microbiology Lab Based on Their Principles and Functions
The instruments used in the microbiology labs include a bunch of different kinds of instruments required for a lot of different processes conducted within those laboratories.
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List of Instruments used in Microbiology Lab
- Analytical Balance
- Autoclave
- Bunsen burner
- Centrifuge
- Colony Counter
- Deep Freezer
- Homogenizer
- Hot plate
- Hot air oven
- Incubator
- Laminar Air Flow/ Laminar Hood
- Magnetic Stirrer
- Microscope
- pH Meter
- Spectrophotometer
- Vortex Mixture/ Vortexer
- Water Bath
- Water Distiller
1. Analytical Balance
An analytical balance is a type of balance that is commonly
used for the measurement of mass in the sub-milligram range.
Working Principle
These types of balances are made with a measuring pan
enclosed in a transparent covering that prevents small particles or air
currents from getting collected on the pan.
An electric analytical balance uses the force necessary to
counteract the mass rather than measuring the mass itself.
An electromagnet is used to create a force required to
achieve a balance with the mass of the substance, and the resulting force is
displayed.
Uses
As they are highly precise and based on advanced technology,
analytical balances are explicitly used in laboratories for the effective
completion of tasks like weighing test materials and sampling amounts,
formulation, density determination, purity analysis, quality control testing,
and material and conformance testing.
2. Autoclave
An autoclave is a pressurized chamber used for the process
of sterilization and disinfection by combining three factors: time, pressure,
and steam
Working Principle
Autoclaves use steam as their sterilization agent. The basic
principle of an autoclave is that all the items within the autoclave come in
direct contact with the steam for a particular period irrespective of the
nature of the material- whether it is liquid, plastic ware, or glassware.
The amount of time and the temperature depends on the type
of material being sterilized and the increase in temperature of the cycle
allows for shorter periods.
Uses
Autoclaves are mostly used for the sterilization of medical
or laboratory equipment with the capacity of sterilizing a large number of
materials at once.
They are commonly used for the preparation of culture media
during laboratory applications.
3. Bunsen burner
Bunsen burner is a standard tool used in laboratories, named
after Robert Bunsen. It is a gas-fueled single open flame.
Working Principle
This burner is made with a metal tube on a flat base with a
gas inlet at the bottom of the tube, which may have an adjustable valve. On the
sides of the tube are openings that can be adjusted with a collar to control
the amount of air that can enter.
Once the burner is connected to a gas source, the gas is
forced by the gas pressure so that the gas reaches the top where the flame is
ignited with a match or a lighter.
Uses
It is commonly used for processes like sterilization,
combustion, and heating. In medical or microbiology laboratories, it is
commonly used for micro-loop sterilization.
4. Centrifuge
A centrifuge is a device that allows the rotation of an
object about a single axis, where an outward force is applied perpendicularly
to the axis. A laboratory centrifuge is motor-based and allows the rotation of
a liquid sample resulting in the separation of the components of the mixture.
Working Principle
A centrifuge works on the principle of sedimentation, where
the high speed of the rotation causes the denser particles to move away from
the center while smaller, less dense particles are forced towards the center.
Thus, the denser particles settle at the bottom while the
lighter particles are collected at the top.
In a laboratory tabletop centrifuge, the sample tubes are
aligned at an angle so that the particles have to travel a shorter distance
before they hit the bottom.
Uses
The primary application of a centrifuge is the separation of
particles suspended in a suspension. It can be used for the separation of cell
organelles, nucleic acid, blood components, and separation of isotopes.
5. Colony Counter
A colony counter is used to estimate the density of a liquid
culture by counting the number of CFU (colony forming units) on an agar or
culture plates.
Working Principle
This instrument can accommodate different sizes of plates
which are scanned on top with UV, white light and/or fluorescent illumination.
One can accomplish the counting either manually with the
touch pressure or with a digital counter.
Uses
A colony counter is primarily used for counting the number
of colonies present on a culture plate to estimate the concentration of
microorganisms in liquid culture.
6. Deep Freezer
Working Principle
Deep freezers are based on the principle that under extremely
low temperatures, there is minimum microbial growth which allows for the
protection and preservation of different substances.
Based on this principle, we can even preserve cultures over
a long period of time without any change in the concentration of the
microorganisms.
Uses
A deep freeze can be used for the preservation of different
things used in the laboratories for a very long period of time. Deep freezers
are used in laboratories to store and preserve medical equipment, food items,
blood samples, medicines, and injections, etc. for a more extended period of
time.
7. Homogenizer
Homogenizer is a device used in laboratories for the mixing
of various liquids and materials like tissue, plant, food, soil, and many
others.
Working Principle
This instrument is based on the principle that when large
globules in coarse emulsion are passed under high pressure through a narrow
orifice, they break down into smaller particles giving a more uniform and
stable mixture.
A homogenizer has a metal rod with narrow parallel openings
in the form of a comb at the end which acts as the orifice for the
homogenization process.
Uses
A homogenizer is primarily used to disrupt cells to acquire
cell organelles for different microbiological processes.
It is used in the preparation step before the extraction and
purification of different macromolecules like proteins, nucleic acids, and
lipids.
8. Hot plate
A hot plate is a stand-alone appliance used in microbiology
laboratories as a tabletop heating system.
Working Principle
Unlike the traditional ways of producing heat through fire,
a hot plate produces heat by the flow of electricity.
On a hot plate, electricity runs through the coils which
have a high level of electrical resistance. The resistance in the coils
converts the electrical energy into heat energy which causes the coils to
release heat.
Uses
In a laboratory, hot plates are used to heat glassware and
its components.
They are used over water baths as water baths might be
hazardous in case of any spills or overheating.
9. Hot air oven
A hot air oven is an electrical device that is used for
sterilization of medical equipment or samples using dry heat.
Working Principle
A hot air oven is a type of dry heat sterilization which is
performed on dry materials and on substances that do not melt or catch fire
under high temperatures.
There are two types of hot air ovens based on the working
principle
Forced air hot air oven: In this type of hot air oven, the
heated air inside the oven is distributed throughout the oven with a fan. This
prevents the rising of hot air towards the top while keeping the cold air at
the bottom. This allows for the adequate heating of materials inside the oven.
Static air hot air oven: In this type of oven, the heat is
produced by coils present at the bottom of the oven with no fan. The hot air
rises and doesn’t allow the effective sterilization of the materials.
The equipment inside the oven acquires heat and passes the
heat towards the center, one layer at a time which allows for effective dry
heat sterilization.
Uses
A hot air oven can be used to sterilize materials like
glassware, metal equipment, powders, etc.
It allows for the destruction of microorganisms as well as
bacterial spores.
10. Incubator
An incubator is a device that is used in laboratories for
the growth and maintenance of microorganisms and cultures. Incubator provides
an optimal temperature, pressure, moisture, among other things required for the
growth of microorganisms.
Working Principle
The incubator is based on the principle of maintaining a
proper atmosphere for the growth of microorganisms.
Incubators have a heating system that allows for the
temperature within the incubator to be adjusted according to the type of
organism cultivated inside.
Similarly, they are provided with adjustments for
maintaining the concentration of CO2 to balance the pH and humidity required
for the growth of the organisms.
Variation of the incubator like a shaking incubator is also
available, which allows for the continuous movement of the culture required for
cell aeration and solubility studies.
Uses
Incubators have a wide range of applications including cell
culture, pharmaceutical studies, hematological studies, and biochemical
studies.
Incubators can also be used in the steam cell research area.
11. Laminar Air Flow/ Laminar Hood
Laminar Hood is a closed device primarily for processes or
instruments sensitive to microbial contamination.
Working Principle
A Laminar Hood is made up of stainless steel, avoiding
joints and corners to prevent the accumulation of bacterial spores.
This device creates a sterile environment with the flow of
sterile air through a High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter and
shortwave ultraviolet germicidal lamp that sterilizes the workstation.
Laminar Air Flow has to turn on 15 minutes before to ensure
complete sterilization and the workstation should be cleaned with ethanol
before and after use.
Uses
Laminar Hood is commonly used to conduct processes that are
sensitive to contamination.
It is used for experiments related to plant tissue culture
and for the experiments of genetic transformation.
12. Magnetic Stirrer
Magnetic Stirrer is a device commonly used in microbiology
laboratories for the purpose of mixing liquids.
Working Principle
This device consists of a rotating magnetic or an
electromagnet creating a rotating magnetic field that allows the stir bar (a
piece of heavy metal) to move around in the vessel.
It is coupled with a heating system to heat the liquid while
it is mixed.
Uses
It is usually used for mixing various liquid components in a
mixture in a chemical or microbiology laboratory.
This device is used in place of other stirrers as it is
noise-free and because the size of the stir bar is so tiny, there is less
chance of contamination.
13. Microscope
Microscopes are devices that allow the observer to have an
exceedingly close view of minute particles.
Working Principle
There are many different types of microscopes, each of which
works on its respective principles. However, there is some commonality in them.
The basic principle in a microscope is magnification. Based
on the relative position of the object from the lens or electromagnets,
different positions, nature, and magnification of the image can be achieved.
Different types of microscopes are developed to cater to the
specific needs of the observation. However, the common theme is magnification.
Uses
Based on the type of microscopes, different microscopes are
used for different purposes.
They are primarily used for the observation of minute
particles which cannot be observed with naked eyes.
14. pH Meter
A pH meter is a device used in laboratories that measure the
H-ion concentration in water-based solutions to determine the acidity or
alkalinity of the solution. A pH meter is often termed a “potentiometric pH
meter” as it measures the difference in electric potential between the
reference and a pH electrode.
Working Principle
In a potentiometric pH meter, single or multiple glass
electrodes, connected to a bulb selective to hydrogen ions, are attached to a
metal rod.
When the bulb with the electrodes is dipped into a solution,
hydrogen ions in the solution exchange with positive charges on the electrode
generating an electrochemical potential which is displayed in terms of pH units
on display.
Uses
A pH meter is primarily used to measure the acidity of
pharmaceutical chemicals, cultures, soil, and water treatment plant.
It can be used to measure the acidity level in wine and
cheese during their production.
15. Spectrophotometer
The spectrophotometer is an optical instrument for measuring
the intensity of light in relation to wavelength. Based on the amount of light
absorbed by a colored solution, a quantitative analysis of the solution can be
done.
Working Principle
Spectrophotometry is based on the Beer-Lambert Law, which
states the absorbance of light by a solution (of a particular wavelength) is
directly proportional to the concentration of the substance.
Different wavelengths of light are passed through a solution
as different substances have better absorbance at different wavelengths. Based
on the absorbance of a particular wavelength, the quantitative analysis of a
solution can be done.
Uses
In a microbiology laboratory, a spectrophotometer is applied
for the measurement of the substance concentration of protein, nucleic acids,
bacterial growth, and enzymatic reactions.
16. Vortex Mixture/ Vortexer
A vortex mixture is one of the basic technologies used for
the mixing of samples in glass tubes or flasks in laboratories.
Working Principle
It is based on the simple principle of causing reactions and
homogenization by agitating the mixture.
Motorized draft shafts present on the mixer oscillate and
transfer the movement to the sample tubes causing the sample fluids to undergo
turbulent flow.
Uses
Vortex mixer is mostly used for the mixing of various sample
fluids in the sample tubes and also allows for the homogenization of cells and
cell organelles.
17. Water Bath
Water Bath is a conventional device that is used for chemical
reactions that required a controlled environment at a constant temperature.
Working Principle
A sensor in the device transfers water temperature to a
reference value which is then amplified and a control system generates a signal
for the heating system which heats the water to the desired temperature.
Uses
Water baths are primarily used for heating samples under a
controlled temperature.
These are suitable for heating chemicals that might be
flammable under direct ignition.
18. Water Distiller
A water distiller is a device that purifies water by the
process of distillation. This instrument is commonly used in medical
laboratories, microbiology laboratories, organic chemistry laboratories, and
medical industries.
Working Principle
A water distiller is based on the principle of distillation.
According to this process, water is first brought to a boil
and then condensed into liquid form to obtain pure distilled water.
Uses
It is used to obtain distilled water required for many lab
tests as well as for the preparation of culture media.
References
https://www.adamequipment.com/aeblog/what-are-analytical-balances
https://pharmawiki.in/autoclave-sterilization-principle-working-pdf-ppt-autoclave-validation-autoclave-diagram/
https://www.britannica.com/science/Bunsen-burner
https://www.biocompare.com/Lab-Automation-High-Throughput/11357-Colony-Counters/
https://www.prestogroup.com/articles/deep-freezers-for-medical-laboratories/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/magnetic-stirrer
https://www.britannica.com/technology/pH-meter
https://www.glascol.com/what-is-vortex-mixer
https://labrotovap.com/working-principle-of-water-bath/
http://www.microspectra.com/support/learn/what-is-a-spectrophotometer
https://pharmawiki.in/pdf-ppt-hot-air-oven-working-principle-sterilization-diagram-sop-uses-temperature/
https://www.labmanager.com/product-focus/incubators-20299
https://www.orchideenvermehrung.at/english/lfh/function.htm
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