Biotech Lab Safety and Procedures Best Practices | Lab Safety Importance

Biotech lab safety and procedures rely on selecting the right tools and lab equipment to streamline efficiency. In addition to training and professional education, every laboratory should have certain critical lab equipment. Lab equipment suppliers like Corning can help by providing the resources and equipment that keep biotech labs running at their best.

In conjunction with critical pieces of lab equipment, a handful of best practices for the biotech lab can also help drive efficiency, accuracy, and safety. Here are some lab best practices suggestions from Corning that can keep workers safe, increase the quality of data generated, decrease operating costs, and support lab safety and procedures.

Keeping experiments running smoothly with improved efficiency helps free up time for skilled workers to focus on complex tasks. Best practices for streamlining biotech lab efficiency include:

Streamlining Labware and Reagent Ordering

Moving to smart lab purchasing or using a lab information management system (LIMS) to digitally transform the ordering process means never running low on inventory, scaling up and ordering resources before experiments go sour, and ensuring lab managers aren't spending all their time on orders or inventory management.

Scaling Up Lab Output

Scaling up is sustainable and helps improve efficiency. Maximizing output without increasing the lab footprint means you can grow a greater number of cells per campaign, for example. Corning's range of stacked vessels, including 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, and 40-layer CellSTACK chambers and 12- and 36-layer HYPERStack vessels and the Corning^® Ascent^® Fixed Bed Reactor System are excellent products for scaling up output.

Automating Data Entry

Digital transformation in the laboratory with automated data entry is another way to improve lab efficiency, seamlessly connecting equipment and eliminating manual data entry. Products such as electronic lab notebooks and wireless uploads cut out human error and streamline data analysis and visualization. Digital data collection, storage, and analysis save time and provide more accurate results. For example, the Corning Axygen^® Gel Documentation System makes automated data entry easy, allowing for image capture and annotation.

To maintain the best accuracy in lab environments, best practices include:

Removing Human Error in Lab Procedures

Automation helps with accuracy by eliminating human error. Removing the human element from data entry, for instance, can ensure lab procedures are as accurate as possible. For example, automated liquid handling using a benchtop instrument, such as the Lambda™ EliteMax Semi-automated Benchtop Pipettor, removes human error as a source of inaccuracy. More consistent volume delivery makes scaling up assays easier. It also allows skilled staff to focus on more complex tasks by automating routine tasks like serial dilutions and plate-to-plate transfers.

Simplifying Cell Counting

Tools such as the Corning Cell Counter can provide another opportunity to automate and save time. Beyond speeding up the laborious task of cell counting, it also returns more accurate results. Machine learning and a simple setup replace manual counting to improve consistency with highly reproducible results.

As critical as efficiency and accuracy are for quality lab work, safety is paramount in any lab environment. Best practices for safety with lab equipment and human error include:

Providing Regular Training Sessions

Biotech laboratories need to train staff on hazard awareness, safe handling, and minimizing risk. Sessions should also include instructions on how to correctly use personal protective equipment such as face masks, gloves, and eye protection.

Maintaining Equipment

Regularly performing equipment maintenance ensures optimal operation and less failure. Maintenance schedules can be programmed into LIMS for regular reminders. It's also important to regularly decontaminate handheld equipment.

Monitoring Equipment

Using automation for systems and equipment monitoring boosts productivity by freeing up time for skilled workers, and it can improve safety by removing the potential for human error. Remote monitoring for equipment such as freezers, for example, and alarms that alert users to doors left open are all helpful safety features.

Reducing Injury Risks

Using equipment with automation can do more than boost experiment accuracy. It can also improve lab safety and procedures by taking away the risk of strain injuries common for repetitive tasks such as pipetting.

Biotech laboratories are always looking for ways to boost their efficiency and accuracy while keeping staff as safe as possible. Finding the right supplier like Corning can help by providing the resources a lab needs to reach their goals for each of these three essential areas.