An Anaerobic Biochemical Laboratory

For the study of certain enzymes, Dr. E. R. Stadtman, Chief, Laboratory of Biochemistry at the National Institutes of Health, desired a room where he could conduct many of the standard chemical laboratory procedures in an environment essentially free of oxygen. This unusual requirement presented many challenging problems from the standpoint of ease of operation, personnel safety, and economy of operation. This paper describes the parameters which were evaluated to design this unique facility including the method of obtaining and maintaining an oxygen free atmosphere, the life support system for the personnel, and safety features for normal and for emergency operations. The experience gained in actual use of this facility has indicated that experiments in a laboratory of this type can be conducted efficiently and safely.