• Question: Have you ever been in danger while doing an experiment?

    Asked by Martaheras to Eoin, Ester, Natasha, Paul, Tom on 15 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Natasha Myhill

      Natasha Myhill answered on 15 Nov 2017:

      Most of the experiments I do use some chemicals or substances that you wouldnt want to get on your skin or ingest. We all have to wear lab coats in the lab to protect our skin and we also have to wear gloves which protect our hands and keeps our hands sterile too. Most of the work I do is carried out in a flow cabinet, which keeps the bacteria away from the cells, and also keeps me safer from particularly toxic chemicals. I also work with viruses which have been altered so they dont infect humans but its still best to be very careful when handling them.

    • Photo: Paul McKeegan

      Paul McKeegan answered on 16 Nov 2017:

      My experience is similar! I have never done an experiment dangling from a cliff or anything like that, but I have used some pretty dangerous chemicals in the lab, like cyanide. Goggles, lab coats, gloves and face masks are often necessary! I also use fume hoods to protect myself from chemicals that give off harmful gases. These remove the gases through a ventilation system, preventing you breathing them in.

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