In microbiology, sterilization was a process that destroyed life, typically that of bacteria or other microorganisms.
In 2151, Crewman Cutler sterilized sample containers before a mission on the planet Archer IV. (ENT: "Strange New World")
The Earth probe Nomad was originally programmed to secure and sterilize soil samples from other planets. In 2267, Nomad's programmed function, a sterilization procedure, was to probe for biological infestations and to destroy that which was not perfect. Aboard the USS Enterprise, Spock performed a Vulcan mind probe and confirmed Nomad's function to search out, identify, and sterilize imperfection. Nomad later declared its intention of returning to Earth to sterilize that which was in error, as sterilization was correction. Captain James T. Kirk referred to sterilization as Nomad's prime directive. (TOS: "The Changeling")
In 2366, Doctor Paul Stubbs entered a computer access room aboard the USS Enterprise-D and fired high level gamma radiation at a computer core processor which sterilized it and killed nanites inside the upper core. (TNG: "Evolution")
See also[]
- Agricultural sterilization agent
- Emergency field sterilization
- Sterile field
- Sterile pad
- Sterilite
- Sterilization procedure
- Quarantine field