Do I need a flow hood or is a SAB enough?
A well-built still-air box (SAB) with calm technique is enough for spores/LC-to-grain. A HEPA flow hood is recommended for agar work, cloning, and G2G, resulting in higher throughput and fewer losses to contamination. If budget is tight, master the SAB, then upgrade to an H14 HEPA when plates and transfers become routine.