Equipment Required for Virology Research Labs

Hey folks, I’m setting up a small virology research space at our local university, and I could really use some input. We’ve got funding but not a ton of room, so I want to prioritize the right equipment first. My background’s mostly in microbiology, but I’m jumping into more virus-focused work now. We’ve already got a decent biosafety cabinet and incubators, but I’m unsure about what else is truly essential. Anyone here been through this setup process?

 

Yeah, I’ve helped organize a BSL-2 lab a couple years back — definitely a learning curve! Besides your basics, we found that things like a reliable centrifuge with sealed rotors and a good PCR thermal cycler saved us from a lot of headaches later. Also, don’t overlook cold storage; samples pile up way faster than you’d expect. We actually browsed through this list of https://gentaur.co.uk/laboratory-equipment/ when we were budgeting — it gave us a solid idea of what was worth investing in versus what could wait.

 

Just reading through and it really reminds me how many layers go into building out any lab — not just buying equipment, but also planning workflow and storage. I remember shadowing in one space where the freezer and fume hood were placed in the worst possible spots, and it totally messed with how efficiently they could work. Placement and practicality matter just as much as the gear itself.