How to get dressed for work....

The lab here in Thunder Bay is an Ancient DNA lab, one that works with very old material and forensic material too. This means it's a super clean space, where no 'live' DNA (DNA taken from animals that are alive or recently alive - so there are high amounts of DNA present) is ever analyzed and you need to take special measures to prevent contamination. The methods we use up here are designed to pick up very very small amounts of DNA, so even things like paper cannot go in, as even this has more DNA than most of the samples that go through here. You can't actually take anything into the lab (samples are specially cleaned and put through an airlock), so remembering to upload everything to the computer server before you head in is essential.

Most of the material analyzed here is of human origin, so minimizing human contamination is especially essential. No skin or hair can be left in the lab, even a fingerprint could mess up someone's samples. So here is the procedure for getting into the lab - I have it down to 2 minutes at the moment, a good skill to learn if you have to go in and out the lab a lot to pee!

First the hair net - this is done without gloves on, so your gloves don't touch your hair and get contaminated......

Next the gloves and then the full tyvek suit (it has attached booties). It can get toasty in there, so worth remembering to take off the sweater before putting it on - and taking anything out your pockets, as if it falls out it'll rattle around inside your bootie until you come back out. Ask me how I know this....:0)

Next the mask, limiting the amount of face left uncovered (you have to cover the rest of it with the glasses, which are next). The secret with this is to make sure your hair net is completely covered, as otherwise it comes down onto your eyes as you move around. And to put the nose piece on the mask tight over your nose, otherwise your glasses get a lot of condensation. It's a pest, and you can't take it off or fiddle with it once you're in there.....

Last, the safety glasses and sleeves with a thumb-loop. This stops there being a gap between your suit and your gloves. Now you're ready to go through the air shower (which blows any stray hair or dust off you)! When you get in there you immediately put another pair of gloves on top of that too, completely sealing it up. And whenever you change tasks, tables or rooms, you change those outer gloves.

Now you're ready to go to work, and better have remembered to pee, as you have to take all this off again in reverse order (making sure not to touch suit, sleeves, glasses or mask with uncovered hands) to get back out again!