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Welcome to Cellf Taught Bio! Created for students by students.
Not everything in the lab is trying to kill you. But these certainly are!
Chemical Hazards:
Chemical Hazards:
Always check SDS (Safety Data Sheets) before handling anything with more than three syllables—or anything that sounds remotely like it belongs in a villain’s lab. The SDS tells you what it is, what it does, how it can hurt you, and how to keep it from doing so.
Acids and bases love drama. When diluting acids, always add acid to water, never the reverse. Otherwise, you might end up with a splash of boiling, corrosive regret. This rule prevents exothermic reactions from escalating.
Dispose of chemicals properly. The sink is not your trash can, nor is it a magic portal that makes hazards disappear. Follow your institution’s waste disposal protocols for acids, solvents, and anything that isn’t tap water.
Fume hoods are your best friend for volatile, toxic, or smelly substances. Keep the sash lowered to protect your face (it’s called the blast shield for a reason), and make sure your arms are inside to prevent vapors from escaping into the room. Don’t block the airflow with clutter.
THIS SHOULD NOT BE YOU.
Biological Hazards:
Biological Hazards:
Treat all biological material as if it’s out to get you. Blood, bacteria, cells—they may look harmless, but you don’t know what they’re carrying. Universal precautions exist for a reason.
Biosafety cabinets (BSCs) are for protecting your sample from contamination and you from infectious material. Not to be confused with fume hoods—BSCs recirculate air through HEPA filters; fume hoods vent it outside. Know the difference.
Never pipette by mouth. Yes, this was standard once. No, it’s not funny now. Use pipette aids—manual or electronic. Your mouth belongs nowhere near infectious or toxic liquids.
Disinfect your bench before and after use. A simple bleach or ethanol wipe-down saves time, money, and experiments from contamination. Start clean, finish cleaner.
Physical Hazards:
Autoclaves = steamy death traps. They sterilize using high heat and pressure, which means you wait until the pressure gauge reads zero. Otherwise, congratulations—you’ve invented a shrapnel machine.
Be careful with sharps. Needles, scalpels, broken glass—they go in the designated sharps container. Never in regular trash. Never in your lab coat pocket. Sharp injuries are a leading cause of lab-acquired infections.
Centrifuge lids: Close them. Balance them. An unbalanced centrifuge can vibrate, dance, or even self-destruct. Double-check your tubes are evenly weighted and the lid is locked before you press start.
Liquid nitrogen: Looks cool, freezes flesh. Cryogens aren’t toys. Use insulated gloves, face shields, and tongs when handling. Frostbite isn’t fun, and shattering glass from improper handling is worse.
Lab safety isn’t about paranoia — it’s about respect. Respect for the chemicals, the equipment, the biohazards, and most importantly, for yourself and your colleagues. Every rule exists because someone, somewhere, learned it the hard way. Don’t let that someone be you. Stay cautious, stay curious, and remember: the best experiments are the ones where everyone leaves with the same number of fingers they started with.
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