Lab Practices Archives

Developing Your Mushroom Substrate Sterilization Procedures

Contamination is the most common source of failure in any mushroom crop. This especially affects slow-growing mushrooms with longer colonization times. The same characteristics that make mushroom substrate delicious to […]

Developing Your Lab’s Soil Sterilization Protocol

Soil sterilization can be an ordeal. Its density and the heartiness of endospores and other biological material present in soil make it a truly vexing challenge. Many labs run their […]

Should I cover the tops of flasks with foil before autoclaving?

Should I cover the tops of flasks with foil before autoclaving? Short answer: No. (DISCLOSURE: This blog fully complies with Betteridge’s Law of Headlines) We’re consistently surprised by the persistence […]

Lab Leak Prevention in an Age of Pandemics and Globalization

While the question of whether or not the COVID-19 outbreak was the result of a lab leak is still quite contentious, there’s no doubt that inconsistent training and protocols continue […]

The Right Autoclave for Streamlining Your Lab’s Growth Media Prep

Growth media preparation is the cornerstone of any microbiology lab. Not having the media you need when you need it—because someone forgot to start a batch or one failed—creates a […]

Steam Autoclave Maintenance Best Practices with Instructional Support Technician Kelly McVey

Constant low-level neglect puts a lot of unnecessary strain on your autoclave over time. Meanwhile, even a very low level of maintenance, when consistent, can increase up-times and massively reduce […]

Steam Autoclave Testing Methods and Maintenance: Leak Testing and the Bowie-Dick Test

In most cases, autoclave installation includes both vacuum leakage testing and a Bowie-Dick test (also known as a “dynamic air removal test”). These confirm that your sterilizer can create a […]

Lab Tip: Choosing Plastic vs Metal Autoclave Trays

Everyone knows they should always use autoclave trays. It’s something we at Priorclave talk about a lot. But what you might not know is that we also recommend you always […]

The Role of Soil Sterilization in Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soil Studies

Phytoremediation technologies use living plants to capture contaminants throughout the environment. But the phytoremediation of contaminated soil as a way to recover land previously damaged by human activities is proving […]

Building Infrastructure, Unpleasant Surprises, and the Hidden Costs of Buying New Autoclaves

As you compare autoclaves for your lab, you may find some manufacturers are quoting prices that seem extremely attractive. This is especially the case when you factor in recent supply […]

What to Expect When You’re Expecting (an Autoclave)

Are you expecting a new bundle of joy with us? Is the nursery ready? When you’ve invested in a Priorclave floor model autoclave, you’ll want to prepare your install site […]

Proper Steam Autoclave Care and Feeding is Easy!

We love to hear from labs around the world about how reliable their Priorclave steam autoclave is. Sometimes reports reach us from the field of our steam autoclaves running for […]