Wetlab

Wet lab, short for wet laboratory, is a type of laboratory where experiments are conducted using liquids and reagents. The term distinguishes hands-on, liquid-based work from dry-lab activities that rely on computation and modeling. Wet labs are used across biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and related disciplines, and they involve the preparation, handling, and analysis of chemical and biological materials in aqueous solutions and other liquid media.

Common activities include preparing and diluting reagents, isolating and manipulating nucleic acids or proteins, conducting enzyme assays, performing polymerase chain reactions, running gel electrophoresis, and carrying out cell culture or chemical synthesis in solution. Workflows typically follow standard operating procedures, include appropriate controls, and emphasize accurate documentation and data recording.

Facilities and equipment in wet labs range from basic benches with sinks to specialized containment and analysis systems. Typical apparatus includes pipettes and micropipettors, centrifuges, incubators, laminar flow cabinets or biosafety cabinets, spectrophotometers, and chromatographic or microplate readers. Safe handling requires personal protective equipment, proper ventilation, and adherence to biosafety, chemical hygiene, and waste-disposal guidelines.

Safety and regulatory considerations vary by field and jurisdiction but commonly cover sterile technique, cross-contamination prevention, infection control, chemical hazard management, and waste treatment. Training usually includes safety induction, hands-on practice, and competency assessments, and many labs use inventory controls and laboratory information management systems to track reagents and samples.

Within the research and clinical ecosystem, wet labs enable discovery as well as routine diagnostics and quality testing. The term also encompasses core facilities and educational laboratories that provide equipment, services, and space for experiments conducted with liquids.