Construction of a Sterile Laboratory

The majority of cultivators fail because they do not take the time to construct a laboratory for sterile work. An afternoon s work is usually all that is required to convert a walk-in closet, a pantry or a small storage room into a workable inoculation chamber. 

All these items should remain in the laboratory. If any equipment is removed, make sure it is absolutely olean before being returned to the room. 

A sernisterile environment can be established in the laboratory through simple maintenance 

Once the sterile work room has been constructed, follow a strict and unwavering regimen of hygiene. The room should be cleaned with a disinfectant, the floors mopped and lastly the room s air washed with a fine mist of 10% bleach solution. After spraying, the laboratory should not be reentered for a minimum of 15 minutes until the suspended particles have settled. A regimen of cleaning MUST precede every set of inoculations. As a rule, contamination is easier to prevent than to eliminate after it occurs. 

Before going further, a few words of caution are required. Sterile work demands concentration, attention to detail and a steady hand. Work for reasonable periods of time and not to the point of exhaustion. Never leave a lit alcohol lamp or butane torch unattended and be conscious of the fact that in an airtight space oxygen can soon be depleted. 

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