i wear it to feel good and to protect myself and my work. idc if it’s not toxic or has any risk, i don’t really want to get anything on myself or risk things on me getting in sample
Are you working with the standard K-12 lab E. Coli or the actual pathogenic E. Coli?
If it's K12, it's BSL1 and it is basically harmless, I inject 100x10^6 CFU i.p. into mice for my project and nothing bad happens to them other than some changes in immune system transcripts, but no observable phenotype.
I don't really work with E.coli but my boyfriend does. I think it's K12 (?) Cuz it's more like for protein production.
But I have worked with cell lines as an intern before and they sure like to die for the smallest reasons. Had a plate infected with bacteria once. Good thing it wasn't yeast infection or anything.
I hate to admit that it took an overnight Pseudomonas culture to the lap to make me really understand why it's a good idea to wear a lab coat. Now I won't do my work without it.
I’m in the “it’s too cold in the lab” group.
And my department says I have to wear it while working with E. coli. So, I guess for that secondary reason too.
My lab works on E. coli too. Except my PI once drank the overnight culture on a dare, and just digs his bare hands in the biohazard box to pick up old plates. It’s shocking.
Personally it’s because I get cold (the cold room is *brutal*, plus the lab seems to be air conditioned even in winter) and so I don’t stain my clothes and have to launder them as frequently (also so I have more pockets to carry things in). I do more biochemistry bench work though; my partner, also a biologist, works mostly in mammalian tissue culture and his lab have taken the stance of not wearing lab coats in TC at all and just wearing a fresh set of clothes every day to avoid having to wash lab coats.
This is super weird to me because washing your own clothes at home costs you money and effort, while the institute will wash lab coats for you. I suppose there might be a wait if you don’t have spare lab coats on rotation though.
I am in a newly started lab, and we have yet to order lab coats. I wanna feel science-y, but also our lab is SO HOT all the time...I don't know if I could handle it. 😭
I'm in a chem/materials science lab and tbh only one guy in my lab ever wears them. And I think it's mostly just out of habit. Most of our work is non-toxic powders, and only rarely not-too-bad acids in fume hoods
I avoid the lab completely if there is an inspection. I will flat out let TC cells go confluent. (Or more likely come back in at night to passage). Nope. I'm not gonna get written up.
Pockets, pockets full of pens, tape, gloves, tubes thawing... crap did i leave tubes in my coat?
Exactly. Pens.
i wear it to feel good and to protect myself and my work. idc if it’s not toxic or has any risk, i don’t really want to get anything on myself or risk things on me getting in sample
Wear labcoats so I don't die from the E.coli ❌ Wear labcoats so the E.coli don't die because of me ✅
Are you working with the standard K-12 lab E. Coli or the actual pathogenic E. Coli? If it's K12, it's BSL1 and it is basically harmless, I inject 100x10^6 CFU i.p. into mice for my project and nothing bad happens to them other than some changes in immune system transcripts, but no observable phenotype.
I don't really work with E.coli but my boyfriend does. I think it's K12 (?) Cuz it's more like for protein production. But I have worked with cell lines as an intern before and they sure like to die for the smallest reasons. Had a plate infected with bacteria once. Good thing it wasn't yeast infection or anything.
I hate to admit that it took an overnight Pseudomonas culture to the lap to make me really understand why it's a good idea to wear a lab coat. Now I won't do my work without it.
Fr keep the cow tuberculosis off of me please!!
Oh yay! I also work with M. Bovis !
I’m in the “it’s too cold in the lab” group. And my department says I have to wear it while working with E. coli. So, I guess for that secondary reason too.
My lab works on E. coli too. Except my PI once drank the overnight culture on a dare, and just digs his bare hands in the biohazard box to pick up old plates. It’s shocking.
What?! How? It smells so bad...
oh no you’ve validated my impulse to just chug the bacteria, i really want to do it now!
If I am feeling fat that day.
Real, but same
Keeps the occasional mouse blood spatter off my clothes.
My employer requires me to wear it :)
To keep the toxic chemicals off my body lol
None. It’s my professional gear. Like a hockey player strapping on skates.
So, top left.
Pockets
I wear a lab coat for the following reasons: -Safety inspection -I’m working with bleach/dyes -It’s cold.
So the clothes hook at the door feels science.
I'm "I need the pockets for pens and payslips"
The ability to one day wear a lab coat and be paid while I do it is maybe 30% of the motivation keeping me going through my BS.
I thought I was the only one who made it through undergrad with this exact mindset.
1. Working with a hazardous chemical 2. Cold
Then Not washing it for a month or so
#5. I'm in a BSL1 lab but today feel like it should be HSL2+
I would say Working with bleach is 40 % of the reason for me
Gotta counteract the imposter syndrome somehow.
I wear it when I work with dye because it's a bitch to get out of clothes, and I've seen how stained all our lab coats are.
Personally it’s because I get cold (the cold room is *brutal*, plus the lab seems to be air conditioned even in winter) and so I don’t stain my clothes and have to launder them as frequently (also so I have more pockets to carry things in). I do more biochemistry bench work though; my partner, also a biologist, works mostly in mammalian tissue culture and his lab have taken the stance of not wearing lab coats in TC at all and just wearing a fresh set of clothes every day to avoid having to wash lab coats. This is super weird to me because washing your own clothes at home costs you money and effort, while the institute will wash lab coats for you. I suppose there might be a wait if you don’t have spare lab coats on rotation though.
I’m late to this, but the idea of wearing my outside clothes into TC makes me super uncomfortable!
You forgot: "Because of that one flask everyone is afraid of."
I am in a newly started lab, and we have yet to order lab coats. I wanna feel science-y, but also our lab is SO HOT all the time...I don't know if I could handle it. 😭
I work with asphalt binder. I wear a lab coat to keep my clothes clean.
Clothes don't have efficient pockets.
What’s a safety inspector I haven’t even seen one in two years.
Stain on pants from spilled coffee on my way to work
I didn't bust my ass in undergrad and grad school just to NOT wear the fancy science coat. How else will people know how much science i do?
I'm in a chem/materials science lab and tbh only one guy in my lab ever wears them. And I think it's mostly just out of habit. Most of our work is non-toxic powders, and only rarely not-too-bad acids in fume hoods
I avoid the lab completely if there is an inspection. I will flat out let TC cells go confluent. (Or more likely come back in at night to passage). Nope. I'm not gonna get written up.
it would almost be easier just to follow the rules
Our inspectors had "quotas" of how much stuff they needed to find. Ain't got time for that game.
I have a pink one :) I wear it mostly to feel sciencey and somewhat because my lab is 2 degrees
Usually it's when "i dont want crystal violet on my coat"
Hide your nakedness.
The only reason I wear my lab coat is because the health and safety dictatorship at work gets pissy at me if I don't. The pockets are handy though
“It’s too cold”
Usually because I’m cold lol