laboratory safety
Autoclaves and what sterilisation does not do
Steam sterilisation holds a cleaned load at temperature. It does not wash, remove endotoxin, or prove sterility because the tape changed colour.
8 October 2026 · 11 min read
Tag
autoclave
Articles tagged autoclave. Tags group methods across clusters so a technique can be found from more than one route.
All topicsBuffers and laboratory water26Cell culture26Chromatography26Cold chain and sample storage26Cytometry and microscopy26DNA sequencing26Gels and blotting26Gene expression26Genome editing26Immunoassays26Laboratory labware26Laboratory safety26Liquid handling26Microbiology26Molecular cloning26Nucleic acid purification26PCR and amplification26Protein biochemistry26Proteomics26Research sourcing and study design26
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7 articles
buffers and water
Autoclaving a buffer can shift pH
Autoclave a buffer only when the composition allows it, then recheck pH at the recipe temperature, because Tris, sugars, and bicarbonate do not come back
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
microbiology
Autoclaving media and antibiotic timing
An autoclave is pressurised steam, and heat-labile antibiotics go in only after the medium has cooled. This glossary separates those steps from a warm oven.
8 October 2026 · 8 min read
labware
Glass bottles caps and autoclave cycles
How to specify a glass bottle and cap for steam sterilisation, including thread, headspace, loosened caps, and thermal shock.
8 October 2026 · 7 min read
laboratory safety
Load density and trapped air
Load density, trapped air, and steam contact are different ideas. This glossary says what each term means when a packed load fails to sterilise.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
labware
Racks that survive an autoclave
Why an autoclave rack warps or melts, and how the marking separates polypropylene that can take steam from polystyrene that cannot.
8 October 2026 · 7 min read
laboratory safety
What an autoclave indicator does not prove
Tape, a chemical integrator, and a biological indicator answer different questions. Choose the class that matches the claim you need about a cycle.
8 October 2026 · 10 min read