A science laboratory has a range of tools and equipment that help to enable scientists to complete their research and testing effectively and efficiently. Examples of useful scientific lab devices include steam sterilisers. These are used to sterilize laboratory equipment and other materials such as petri dishes. This kind of steriliser is also known as a laboratory autoclave, and they can range from smaller benchtop autoclaves to larger units.

The use of very heated, high pressure steam in an autoclave helps to eliminate bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms from lab equipment. The heat used in stem sterilisers is so high that it is more than 100 degrees celsius. Autoclaves can also be very efficient in a microbiology lab because autoclaves need only a few minutes to complete the sterilization process. Most autoclaves can fully sterilize the scientific equipment in about only 10 to 15 minutes.

An autoclave can be very advantageous because it can increase the hygiene in a lab. Not only that, autoclaves remove contaminants from scientific equipment, which can result in better and more accurate research. Autoclaves can be found in a range of science laboratories, such as those labs found in the pharmaceutical industry and in the healthcare industry.