• Question: Is it possible to get all of the bacteria of your hands?

    Asked by SCIENCE BOSS to Kon on 9 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Konstantinos Drousiotis

      Konstantinos Drousiotis answered on 9 Nov 2016:

      Hi there,

      Yeah! We always wash our hands before we exit the lab to prevent getting infected. The handwash normally kills up to 99.9% of the bacteria. Also the bacteria we use in this labs they don’t have those genes necessary to cause an infection, they aren’t that bad..

      For labs that work with highly contagious bacteria, many other precautions and regulations are put in place, such as working in a fume hood with good sterilisation and also wearing more protective labcoats.

Comments

  • Photo: Freddie

    Freddie commented on :

    Yes but depending on your environment it won’t be for long! Bacteria in the air will immediately start sticking to your hands.

    I work in Laminar flow cupboards a lot that blow sterile air at you to stop the bacterial air behind you from touching my plants, but they’re still not 100% sterile!