From Lab Balance to Microcentrifuge: Essential University Lab Equipment Explained

Analytical Balances

An analytical balance enables students and researchers to obtain reliable data for their scientific experiments and analyses. Typically used in chemistry and physics experiments, it measures the mass of small samples, usually ranging from 0.1 mg to hundreds of grams, with precision and high accuracy.

This type of lab balance is ideal in various applications. Some common uses include measuring the mass of chemicals, precipitates in a chemical reaction, and samples in a titration process. It also proves beneficial for advanced experiments in biology and supports students specializing in medical, pharmaceutical, industrial, and environmental studies.

Autoclaves

An autoclave is an equally important piece of university lab equipment essential in disinfecting and sterilizing lab glassware, such as test tubes, Petri dishes, and pipettes. It operates at high temperatures and uses steam and pressure to remove microorganisms from lab materials and sterilize culture media. Besides disinfection and sterilization, it is also perfect for decontaminating biological waste before disposal.

This lab equipment should be a staple in university research labs and must be safe and easy to operate, especially for undergraduate and graduate students. Different types are available, and academic institutions can choose models with their preferred cycle selection: gravity, liquid, or pre-vac cycle. An autoclave is crucial to research and experiments in microbiology, biotechnology, and medical sciences.

Biosafety Cabinets

Not to be confused with a fume hood, a biosafety cabinet protects users during an experiment and ensures the environment and materials are safe. It prevents students from exposure to harmful agents by trapping and containing aerosols and filtering them out using HEPA filters. With its distinct use and features, a biological safety cabinet complements fume hoods inside a university lab.

Centrifuges

A lab centrifuge is a staple in chemistry, molecular biology, and biochemistry laboratories. It uses high-speed spinning to separate particles from a solution based on densities, enabling students and researchers to analyze components. Typically used for blood sample analysis, a centrifuge is also suitable for isolating proteins, separating cellular components, or purifying nucleic acids.

Various kinds of laboratory centrifuges exist, and they differ in size, rotor type, and sample capacity. Higher ed institutions can choose to equip their labs with a microcentrifuge, a refrigerated centrifuge, or an ultracentrifuge.

Hotplates

A lab hotplate is perfect for heating samples, performing chemical reactions, and other applications. It is simple to use and provides high temperatures without producing open flames. University laboratories often have different types of laboratory hotplates. Some use ceramic or aluminum, while others come with built-in magnetic stirrers. A hotplate and stirrer combo is a popular choice for higher education students, combining the elements of heating and mixing into one piece of equipment.

pH Meters

A pH meter measures the hydrogen ion activity in a solution to determine its acidity or alkalinity. It is essential to various scientific fields, especially chemistry, biology, and environmental science. Precise titrations, soil pH monitoring, and studies on protein structure make up a few of the usual applications conducted with this instrument. It is common in university and college laboratories and may come as a small hand-held item or large stationary device.

Spectrophotometers

This must-have piece of university lab equipment measures the amount of light absorbed or transmitted by a sample at different wavelengths. It also determines the molecular characterization, properties, and concentration of a compound in a water-based solution, making it ideal for analytical chemistry, molecular biology, material science, and environmental engineering.

Universities commonly have a UV-Vis spectrophotometer in their labs. This specific type accurately measures light absorption within regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. It operates within the UV range (190 to 380 nm) and the visible range (380 to 760 nm). Other variants include atomic absorption and fluorescence spectrophotometers.

Water Baths

A water bath maintains cell lines and heats flammable chemicals at risk of exploding when exposed to open flames. Typically found in university laboratories, this heated water container also incubates samples and provides a controlled and consistent temperature that procedures require.

This university lab equipment is extensively used in various fields, including general chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, and microbiology. It comes in different types–shaking and circulating–and can heat samples from 5℃ to 99℃.