For instance, the experiments completed in this study were carried out in a well- ventilated research laboratory to minimize student exposure to fumes released from the chemicals. Alternatively, one could complete the methanol fixation step under a chemical fume hood to reduce exposure to the vapors. Additionally, the Bunsen burners used to aseptically transfer the bacterial cultures to the slides and to heat- fix the bacteria to some of the slides were turned off prior to methanol fixation and the staining procedure in which ethanol was used. It should also be noted that limited quantities of methanol (and ethanol) were used in this laboratory procedure. For bacteria to each slide. If a classroom of 24 students
were to complete this exercise, and each student was to Gram stain one slide of bacterial cells, this would result in less than 5 mL methanol being used for the
entire class.