1. The explain the safety measures that should be taken when using a microcentrifuge and a PCR machine.
In considering safety in laboratory centrifuge operation If used incorrectly, laboratory centrifuges can be dangerous equipment. The biggest concern is the potential for injury and damage if the rotor fails. The resulting flying pieces of metal can cause significant damage and pose a risk to any nearby workers. In one case, the shock wave from a failed rotor blew out windows in a laboratory. The protective cover prevented the damaged rotor and metal parts from damaging nearby equipment, walls and ceilings.
Additionally, laboratory workers can be injured if they come in contact with moving parts while using the centrifuge, and aerosols produced during the spin can pose health risks. Accordingly, to ensure safety, there are several precautions to be taken, Such as,
ü Use the centrifuge on a level surface
ü Check the unit before use
ü Inspect tubes before use
ü Check the maximum load tolerance and speed
ü Balance tubes correctly
ü Keep the lid closed during cycles
ü Monitor the centrifuge
ü Shut down in event of noise or vibrations
ü Wait before opening the centrifuge
Use the Centrifuge on a Level Surface It is important to use most pieces of laboratory equipment on a level surface, but it is especially important with laboratory centrifuges. An uneven surface can cause the rotor to become unbalanced. Therefore, the centrifuge is designed with the assumption that the axis of the rotor is in line with the direction of gravity. So if it is not, it will not be balanced even before the tube is loaded.
Having a stable surface to work on is also important. When the rotor starts to move, it creates a rotational force in the opposite direction. As a result, the entire centrifuge does not begin to rotate in the opposite direction because it is firmly planted on an immovable surface. A rigid and unstable surface may move in response to this force. Therefore, the movement can be thrown out of centrifugal balance.
Check the Unit Before Use Long-term exposure to moisture, salts and aggressive chemicals can cause corrosion of rotors and buckets. So if it is neglected, this can even lead to the formation of small holes, especially where there are already existing scratches and cracks. Inspect Tubes Before Use Centrifuge tubes should be sorted for temperature, speed and chemical resistance. Before using the tubes, they should therefore be checked for compatibility with the application and settings. As such, the tubes must be part of a matching set that matches the centrifuge.
Check the Maximum Load Tolerance and Speed When considering it, for each unit, the manufacturer specifies the maximum load tolerance and maximum speed. Using a heavy load at maximum speed can cause mechanical failure of the rotor, resulting in injury to the user. In some cases, you can go above the maximum weight tolerance but will need to reduce the maximum speed. It should be given in its manual along with the instructions for calculating the adjusted maximum speed.
Monitor the Centrifuge For some applications, particularly those that require the unit to run for extended periods of time, a laboratory centrifuge may be considered. However, the centrifuge should not be rushed into operation without attention. It is best to at least monitor it until the proper speed is reached and the centrifuge appears to be operating without problems. If something goes wrong, it is likely to be detected early in the process.
When we considering about the PCR Machine’s Safety measures No current caretaker, contact Jeanette Gardner, Main office with problems. Do not use any tubes or plates that are not suitable for the PCR machine being used. Also ensure that the pipes and especially the plates are well sealed before starting the run. Spilled solutions should be cleaned up and disposed of in appropriate biohazard containers. Be careful with the PCR machine lid. These can be damaged if the lid is dropped or dropped. Also switch off the PCR machine after use.
Make sure the PCR heater block is clean before starting the species run. Check each tube container before starting. The tubes should be evenly distributed across the block so the lids are flush with the top of the tubes for even heating and sealing.
2. The events that led to the development of the thermal cycle from its inception to the sophisticated models that are currently available.
Recognized as one of the most important scientific advances of the 20th century, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a quick, easy way to create unlimited copies of DNA from just one original strand. Millions of copies of a segment of DNA are made in a matter of hours. The transcribed DNA can then be reliably used in a variety of tests to diagnose or monitor disease or in basic molecular biology research. PCR technology was developed in 1983 by Kary Mullis of Cetus Corporation. Previously, the PCR reaction was a huge time-consuming process Earlier adopters had to perform all necessary PCR steps manually. Many of these steps required moving the DNA sample back and forth between three large water baths at different temperatures. The discovery of an all-in-one machine (a thermal cycler) that helped automate the PCR process changed the history of molecular biology researchers.
Several major innovations in the mid-1980s led to the development of the first commercial thermal cycler, the TC1 DNA thermal cycler (TC1), in 1987.
One of the first thermocycling innovations was to automate the transfer of DNA samples between different temperatures.
An instrument that facilitated the manual addition of PCR enzymes was also a major development. When PCR was first performed in the laboratory, PCR enzymes were not thermostable; Therefore, they had to be added manually in each cycle.
Most importantly, the key engineering innovation for thermal cycling was the ability to heat and cool the sample using a metal block to set the sample to a precise temperature and program the instrument to cycle through this temperature.
The cooling system of the TC1 thermal cycler consisted of a refrigeration compressor and included plumbing inside the aluminum sampling block. Early-stage heating elements were used. A block temperature control algorithm was developed to obtain accurate and precise block temperatures for successful PCR reactions. Developing an accurate, programmable block depends on several key criteria:
ü A cooling system small enough to fit on a lab bench
ü Reliability in various operating conditions
ü Portability
The innovations TC1 inspired led to discoveries that changed science, including:
ü In 1988, R. Saiki and K. Mullis1 described for the first time the use of a thermostable DNA polymerase from the bacterium Thermus aquaticus (Taq) using TC1. We know how that story evolved: Taq DNA polymerase revolutionized molecular biology and DNA analysis and was essential to the development of modern thermocyclers.
ü In 1989, DNA was amplified from ancient human bone remains using TC12, launching ancient DNA research on human populations.
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