I think the time has come to replace the word in vitro to in plasto. I have been working in Molecular biology, microbiology and protein biochemistry and cell biology fields in different capacities for the past decade. It is remarkable to note how glassware has been replaced with plastic ware. Starting from centrifuge tubes (Eppendorf, Falcon etc) to Petri plates, dispensing pipette tips to measuring cylinder – every usable item is made up of plastic these days. Even chemicals come packed in plastic bottles. Tissue culture flasks, dishes and 96, 24, & 6 well plates used in cell culture are also made of plastic. In fact most of the experiments in molecular or cell biology, biochemistry or microbiology are conducted inside plastic tubes or containers. Only glaring omission from this ever-increasingly plastic world are glass coverslips or glass slides used in microscopy.
In vitro literally means ‘inside glass’. When plastic was unknown experiments performed in glassware i.e. outside the living system were called in vitro. But everything is done in plastic today. And there is remote chance that glass will replace plastic in future.So isn’t it high time that we, the scientists change the terminology of in vitro to in plasto? In ‘The Graduate’ - the cult Hollywood movie of the sixties starred by Dustin Hoffman, the film hero’s father’s friend whispers the word ‘Plastic, plastic’ into his ears to reiterate the fact where the future business and money lie in. It is truly a plastic-filled world now and the scientists (chemists, molecular and cell biologists, biochemists and microbiologists) should take note of this.
