This buying guide is intended to help instructors and lab managers who are new to running a microbiology lab or program. If this is you… read on.
Safety Practices
What organisms will you be working with? Make sure you know the BSL number for all organisms and follow the appropriate guidelines for working with that class of organisms.
Carolina only sells BSL 1 Algae, protists and fungi and BSL2 bacteria are sold only to colleges and universities. In addition Carolina only sells BSL2 bacteria in a lyophilized inactive form in order to protect mail carriers and shipping staff.
Download and review the ASM Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories.
| Item | Use | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
|
When using liquid cultures or splash-prone work |
Wraparound design preferred |
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For staining microbes, chemical use, or when hands have cuts |
Not required for standard BSL-1 work if proper hand hygiene is followed |
|
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Lab Coats |
Protect clothing and skin |
Strongly recommended; required for BSL-2 |
|
Closed-toe shoes |
Prevent fluid contact with feet |
Non-absorbent material, no ballet flats |
|
Hair ties |
Secure long hair |
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
| Item | Use | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Safety Goggles | When using liquid cultures or splash-prone work | Wraparound design preferred |
| Gloves | For staining microbes, chemical use, or when hands have cuts | Not required for standard BSL-1 work if proper hand hygiene is followed |
| Lab Coats | Protect clothing and skin | Strongly recommended; required for BSL-2 |
| Closed-toe shoes | Prevent fluid contact with feet | Non-absorbent material, no ballet flats |
| Hair ties | Secure long hair |
General Lab Conduct
- Wash hands upon entering and exiting the lab.
- Tie back long hair and remove dangling jewelry and smart wearables.
- Keep personal items like phones and laptops out of the lab area or sealed in disposable plastic bags.
- No food, gum, water bottles, or cosmetics allowed.
- Do not touch face or adjust contact lenses during lab sessions.
| Facility Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
|
Nonporous furnishings |
Easy cleaning of surfaces |
|
Sink + soap |
Hand hygiene |
|
Eyewash station |
Emergency eye rinse |
|
Lockable door |
Access control |
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Dedicated storage area |
Personal item separation |
|
Safety signage |
Hazard awareness & emergency info |
Infrastructure Requirements
| Facility Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Nonporous furnishings | Easy cleaning of surfaces |
| Sink + soap | Hand hygiene |
| Eyewash station | Emergency eye rinse |
| Lockable door | Access control |
| Dedicated storage area | Personal item separation |
| Safety signage | Hazard awareness & emergency info |
Disinfection & Waste Management
- Use EPA-approved bench disinfectants before and after lab sessions.
- Store cultures in leak-proof containers and transport via test tube racks.
- BSL-1 Organisms can be disposed of by soaking for 24 hours in a disinfectant known to kill the organisms (i.e. 10% bleach solution), but the preferred method of disposal of waste is using a validated autoclave or licensed service in line with local/federal guidelines.
- Minimize the use of sharps. Use needles and scalpels according to appropriate guidelines and precautions. Do not handle broken glass with fingers; use a dust pan and broom.
- Avoid clinical isolates or unverified environmental samples unless you use full BSL-2 safeguards.
BSL-2-Specific Protocols
BSL-2 work includes all the above, plus:
| Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|
|
Biological Safety Cabinet (recommended) |
Aerosol containment for large cultures |
|
Safety goggles, safety glasses, face shield |
Splash/aerosol protection, Not needed if Safety Cabinet is used |
|
Biohazard signage |
Mark areas where organisms are used/stored |
|
Culture disposal |
|
|
Competency verification |
Students must prove proficiency with BSL-1 before advancing |
|
Maintain culture documentation |
Track origin, safety level, and subculturing |
| Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Biological Safety Cabinet (recommended) | Aerosol containment for large cultures |
| Safety goggles, safety glasses, face shield | Splash/aerosol protection. Not needed if Safety Cabinet is used |
| Biohazard signage | Mark areas where organisms are used/stored |
| Culture disposal | |
| Competency verification | Students must prove proficiency with BSL-1 before advancing |
| Maintain culture documentation | Track origin, safety level, and subculturing |
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
|
Lab Safety Manual |
Includes procedures, PPE rules, emergency contacts |
|
Signed by students to confirm understanding |
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Must be accessible in print or digital form |
|
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Emergency Signage |
Posted in lab; includes updated contact info |
|
Instructor Training |
On hazards, equipment, procedures, and updates |
|
Student Training |
Covers technique safety and microorganism handling |
Material Lists
Training, Documentation, & Materials
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Lab Safety Manual | Includes procedures, PPE rules, emergency contacts |
| Safety Agreements | Signed by students to confirm understanding |
| Safety Data Sheets | Must be accessible in print or digital form |
| Emergency Signage | Posted in lab; includes updated contact info |
| Instructor Training | On hazards, equipment, procedures, and updates |
| Student Training | Covers technique safety and microorganism handling |
| Item | Purpose | Buying Tips |
|---|---|---|
|
Safety goggles/glasses |
Protect eyes from splashes |
Choose chemical-resistant lenses; wraparound design preferred |
|
Disposable gloves |
Protect hands during staining, cuts, chemical use |
Nitrile or latex; ensure proper sizing |
|
Lab coats |
Shield skin and clothing |
Flame-resistant cotton or polyester blend; full-sleeve, knee-length |
|
Closed-toe shoes |
Prevent fluid exposure to feet |
Avoid absorbent materials (no fabric flats); rubber soles are ideal |
|
Hair ties |
Secure long hair |
Non-metallic, easy to sanitize |
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
| Item | Purpose | Buying Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Safety goggles/glasses | Protect eyes from splashes | Choose chemical-resistant lenses; wraparound design preferred |
| Disposable gloves | Protect hands during staining, cuts, chemical use | Nitrile or latex; ensure proper sizing |
| Lab coats | Shield skin and clothing | Flame-resistant cotton or polyester blend; full-sleeve, knee-length |
| Closed-toe shoes | Prevent fluid exposure to feet | Avoid absorbent materials (no fabric flats); rubber soles are ideal |
| Hair ties | Secure long hair | Non-metallic, easy to sanitize |
| Item | Purpose | Buying Tips |
|---|---|---|
|
Soap dispensers |
Hand hygiene |
Wall-mounted near sink |
|
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer |
Alternate hand hygiene method |
60–70% alcohol content; place at lab entry/exit |
|
Surface disinfectants |
Clean work surfaces |
Choose EPA-registered products compatible with microbes used |
|
Disposable wipes/paper towels |
Content |
Content |
Hygiene & Disinfection Supplies
| Item | Purpose | Buying Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Soap dispensers | Hand hygiene | Wall-mounted near sink |
| Alcohol-based hand sanitizer | Alternate hand hygiene method | 60–70% alcohol content; place at lab entry/exit |
| Surface disinfectants | Clean work surfaces | Choose EPA-registered products compatible with microbes used |
| Disposable wipes/paper towels |
| Item | Function | Buying Tips |
|---|---|---|
|
Eyewash station |
Emergency eye rinse |
Plumbed or portable units depending on plumbing access |
|
Lockable door |
Restrict lab access |
Ensure compatibility with fire codes |
|
Nonporous furniture |
Easy to clean surfaces |
Select sealed wood, metal, or hard plastic |
|
Sink w/ soap |
Handwashing |
Stainless steel preferred for durability |
Basic Lab Equipment
| Item | Function | Buying Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Eyewash station | Emergency eye rinse | Plumbed or portable units depending on plumbing access |
| Lockable door | Restrict lab access | Ensure compatibility with fire codes |
| Nonporous furniture | Easy to clean surfaces | Select sealed wood, metal, or hard plastic |
| Sink w/ soap | Handwashing | Stainless steel preferred for durability |
Cultures and Media
Need help knowing the best media for each culture? Check out our reference guide.
| Item | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Decontaminate biohazard waste |
Required for BSL-2; validated unit with cycle logging |
|
|
Biological safety cabinet (BSC) |
Aerosol containment |
Required for certain BSL-2 tasks |
|
Test tube racks & transport trays |
Move cultures safely |
Use leak-proof containers for storage |
|
Microincinerator or disposable loops |
Replace Bunsen burners |
Safer and minimizes aerosol generation |
|
Leak-proof containers |
Store & transport cultures |
Secure lids; autoclavable plastic or stainless steel |
|
Compound microscopes are essential for observing the morphology and structure of microorganisms. |
Phase contrast or fluorescence microscopes may be beneficial for advanced studies. |
|
|
Incubator |
Provides a controlled environment (temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels) for the optimal growth and reproduction of microorganisms. |
|
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Centrifuge |
Separates substances based on density |
Useful for isolating cells, proteins, and DNA from microbial cultures. |
|
Shallow, flat containers for culturing microorganisms on solid media like agar. |
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Microscope Slides and Cover Slips |
For preparing and observing specimens under the microscope |
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Such as iodine or methylene blue for staining cells to enhance visibility under the microscope |
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Pipettes |
Precise instruments for transferring small volumes of liquids during experiments |
|
Microbiological Tools
| Item | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Autoclave | Decontaminate biohazard waste | Required for BSL-2; validated unit with cycle logging |
| Biological safety cabinet (BSC) | Aerosol containment | Required for certain BSL-2 tasks |
| Test tube racks & transport trays | Move cultures safely | Use leak-proof containers for storage |
| Microincinerator or disposable loops | Replace Bunsen burners | Safer and minimizes aerosol generation |
| Leak-proof containers | Store & transport cultures | Secure lids; autoclavable plastic or stainless steel |
| Microscope | Compound microscopes are essential for observing the morphology and structure of microorganisms. | Phase contrast or fluorescence microscopes may be beneficial for advanced studies. |
| Incubator | Provides a controlled environment (temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels) for the optimal growth and reproduction of microorganisms. | |
| Centrifuge | Separates substances based on density | Useful for isolating cells, proteins, and DNA from microbial cultures. |
| Petri Dishes | Shallow, flat containers for culturing microorganisms on solid media like agar. | |
| Microscope Slides and Cover Slips | For preparing and observing specimens under the microscope | |
| Stains | Such as iodine or methylene blue for staining cells to enhance visibility under the microscope | |
| Pipettes | Precise instruments for transferring small volumes of liquids during experiments |
| Item | Use | Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
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Cultures |
Maintain a curated culture collection that contains cultures from authorized or commercial sources (e.g., ATCC, NCIMB, or Carolina Biological Supply Company); a full list of authorized culture collections can be found at World Federation for Culture Collections (http://www.wfcc.info) |
Obtain fresh stock cultures of microorganisms annually (e.g., purchased, revived from frozen stock cultures, etc.) to be certain of the source culture, minimize accumulation of spontaneous mutations, and reduce contamination |
Documentation & Safety
| Item | Use | Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Safety data sheets | ||
| Cultures | Maintain a curated culture collection that contains cultures from authorized or commercial sources (e.g., ATCC, NCIMB, or Carolina Biological Supply Company); a full list of authorized culture collections can be found at World Federation for Culture Collections (www.wfcc.info) | Obtain fresh stock cultures of microorganisms annually (e.g., purchased, revived from frozen stock cultures, etc.) to be certain of the source culture, minimize accumulation of spontaneous mutations, and reduce contamination |
