Laboratory Hoods (Laminar Flow Hoods / Biosafety Cabinets)

Laminar flow hoods are ventilation devices used within the lab to provide an aseptic work area that helps protect both the laboratory personnel and the materials they are working with. Hoods are classified as either Class I, II, or III depending on the level of protection they offer. Fume hoods, most often a Class I hood are designed to limit exposure of the experimenter to hazardous or toxic fumes, vapors or dusts, and are essential in any analytical chemistry or microbiology laboratory. Cell culture hoods, commonly Class II are used to create a sterile environment for cell culture experiments. These hoods protect the samples from contamination using air that is circulated within the enclosed bench and drawn through a HEPA filter. Cell culture hoods are critical in molecular biology labs, in which most work depends on sterile technique. Class III hoods offer the most protections for both the experimenter and the experiment and are commonly biosafety cabinets and/or glove boxes. These hoods are gas tight and are used for work involving known human pathogens, as well as other highly sensitive material.