Jo-Maree inducted me into the use of the benchtop autoclave used to sterilise glassware and other consumables (e.g. water) for use in the lab.

I was a bit nervous at first, but the actual process is pretty straightforward with clear instructions on the front of the machine.

The cycle setting depends on the nature of items that need to be sterilised. I will be autoclaving Glass Petri Dishes in autoclave bags. While there is no specific ‘Goods’ listing for glass, Jo-Maree indicated that Cycle 6 – Wrapped Metals – would be most appropriate as the glass can withstand high temperature and is comparable to metal.

I will also need to sterilise some MilliQ Water for cell culture use – e.g. washing dishes, so this would need to go under a different cycle – Cycle 2 for fluids. When sterilising fluids, it is important to only loosely add a cap to the vessel or the bottle can explode.