Why do scientists work in strange cabinets...?
Scientific laboratories are often surrounded by strange cabinets or 'hoods' which researchers work in...but why? *please note I was approached to post this blog post and there is a disclaimer at the bottom* Image from genencor_14 on Flickr I worked under a hood when working with my cell cultures during my PhD in order to keep the cells sterile and avoid contamination and infection of the cells. Their history These sophisticated systems were initially developed for the aerospace industry in order to control dust contamination that could negatively impact on the reliability and precision of parts. Microbiologists did not take long to switch onto the benefits associated with the technology. A 1967 scientific paper notes, experts in the field had long been seeking ways to control contamination. In their piece, which was published in the journal of the American Society for Microbiology, Martin Favero and Kenneth Berquist stated: “For many years microbiolo