For the type of DNA analysis I’m doing I use facilities specifically designed to protect the degraded DNA and prevent contamination. The facility I’m part of has special DNA laboratory for processing both degraded forensic samples and ancient DNA samples here at the University of Adelaide. It is a specially designed lab that is as sterile as possible. The lab has a constant temperature, the air flow is known as positive pressure (the air flow is set up a certain way to keep dust and contaminants from getting in and circulating) and we have dedicated areas and rooms for different things. There also are rooms where you have to put on special suits to enter the lab and decontaminate anything you are need to take into the laboratory.
We also have ‘regular’ labs where we do all our work that isn’t on degraded DNA, and these areas are known as our our ‘dirty’ labs as they are not set up to be as sterile as the special degraded DNA lab (though by normal standards, they are still very clean!). All our equipment for analysing DNA is also in these labs. We also have coldrooms for storage of all the samples we have in our laboratory. And of course, we have offices to do all our emailing, writing and chatting for I’m a Scientist!
So in my line of work we have some pretty major facilities in order to prevent issues of contamination and also to house all the equipment that is needed.
Oh, I thought I had answered this question, but looks like the internet ate my answer.
The short version is: computers, specialised devices for monitoring or measuring things depending on the project (everything from cameras to heat sensors to movement detectors)
It really depends on the project. One of my colleagues has a wheelchair that can be controlled by your brain, so you “think” of turning right and it turns right. A bit like magic!
For the type of DNA analysis I’m doing I use facilities specifically designed to protect the degraded DNA and prevent contamination. The facility I’m part of has special DNA laboratory for processing both degraded forensic samples and ancient DNA samples here at the University of Adelaide. It is a specially designed lab that is as sterile as possible. The lab has a constant temperature, the air flow is known as positive pressure (the air flow is set up a certain way to keep dust and contaminants from getting in and circulating) and we have dedicated areas and rooms for different things. There also are rooms where you have to put on special suits to enter the lab and decontaminate anything you are need to take into the laboratory.
We also have ‘regular’ labs where we do all our work that isn’t on degraded DNA, and these areas are known as our our ‘dirty’ labs as they are not set up to be as sterile as the special degraded DNA lab (though by normal standards, they are still very clean!). All our equipment for analysing DNA is also in these labs. We also have coldrooms for storage of all the samples we have in our laboratory. And of course, we have offices to do all our emailing, writing and chatting for I’m a Scientist!
So in my line of work we have some pretty major facilities in order to prevent issues of contamination and also to house all the equipment that is needed.
1
Oh, I thought I had answered this question, but looks like the internet ate my answer.
The short version is: computers, specialised devices for monitoring or measuring things depending on the project (everything from cameras to heat sensors to movement detectors)
It really depends on the project. One of my colleagues has a wheelchair that can be controlled by your brain, so you “think” of turning right and it turns right. A bit like magic!
🙂
0