Boxy, plain and unisex, they are hardly a sartorial statement. But they are functional. The big pockets can hold a stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, paper, pen and so on. The lab coat also protects clothes ...

Whenever London-based cell biologist Jennifer Rohn joins a new lab, she finds herself being ushered over to a cardboard box filled with an array of lab coats. It’s then that she’s given her first task ...