I have come to the realization that working in a lab can be really good for you, physically speaking. Not in a “bitten by a radioactive spider and now I have superpowers” sense, but in a “I have developed odd muscle strength and memory” sense.
I have freakishly strong hands. Whenever someone can’t open a jar, it’s passed down to me. Whenever a soda bottle is particularly resistant, I step in. Whenever a cork simply won’t come out of a wine bottle, I am there to save the day/evening… although that may have to do more with constant cork-pulling practice than brute physical strength.
Point is, I have developed some serious hand strength from all the things I do in lab on a daily basis. One of those things is opening bottles and tubes with one hand, utilizing what my high school biotechnology teacher referred to as “aseptic technique,” (Thanks, Dr. Toby!).
Here is how it goes. You grasp the tube with your left hand (if right-handed), and twist the top off with your thumb and index finger.
Hold on to the cap to avoid having to place the clean cap on the relatively dirty benchtop. You can then use your right hand to introduce a pipette into the tube/bottle. The tube can be re-covered in an instant, minimizing exposure to the air and the contaminants suspended within it.
With practice, the caps give way easily, but some are more tenacious than others. Occasionally, you have to hold the bottle/tube steady between your knees (that’s what I like to call a “lower body workout”).
Hand muscles aside, I find lab work to be rather physically challenging. I stand practically all day, running back and forth to the cold room, the tissue culture room, the nice gel dock one floor below, or the partially decrepit X-Omat two floors above. Periodic scaling of the chemical bench to get to the teeny tiny bottle invariably buried behind three rows of huge jugs on the tippy top shelf is good for keeping the heart rate up. I am rarely standing still. I will give my inherent cheesiness free reign by saying that sometimes, working in a lab exercises not only my mind, but also my body.
Apologies, But NO Gloves.. bad practice..
Yeah…its true I do feel same…
I had no idea how true this was until I left the lab. Cue instant weight gain. It doesn’t help that offices tend to be constantly resupplied with fresh batches of cookies, chocolates, treats that people picked up on the way to work… The ban on food in labs is another factor keeping scientists healthy!
Amit – Yes, you are right. It’s most un-asceptic of me! People hardly ever use gloves in the lab I am in now. It is the oddest thing! I can’t stand it. I don’t know how they don’t have yeast growing in every corner of their experiments.
Raja – Glad you agree! Good to hear it’s not just me.
Catherine – It’s awful to sit at a desk all day, isn’t it? It is almost more tiring than moving about, I find. Makes me sleepy. I could imagine cookies making it all worse.
As a non lab based individual, it has been interesting to watch a number of visualized experiments at the likes of JoVE?
Lots of gloves used in the video’s I have watched and no sight of cookies.
It was this video that I found the no gloves issue rather odd. Watch out for the amazing fish experiment ;-)
yes, when i left the lab i got fat immediately. appreciate the activity!
Graham – That video was completely trippy! I can’t believe what they did to that fish.
Charlotte – Oh no! I am terrified of that fate. It is coming for me. Physical activity is definitely one of those things I need to remember to appreciate about lab while I am still in it!
Kristin – It’s funny how much muscle memory and training goes into lab work! I know what you mean about feeling clumsy after a long absence. I wind up dropping everything on the floor. Or worse, on myself.