In-flight instrument checks and bio-barrier

There are a number of press releases coming out as Phoenix performs its in-flight checks on its way to Mars. The two articles I looked at can be found on the JPL or NASA websites (here is one: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20070904a.html ).
During its flight, Phoenix is turning on its instruments one at a time and performing the necessary checks to make sure everything is alive and well; you can see an image of the scoop on the robotic arm as taken by the arm's camera under a red LED. Other tests have been done on the high frequency X-band (the X-band is simply a narrow band of radio wavelengths which can penetrate our atmosphere) radio transmitter, which will monitor Phoenix after separation about the Martian atmosphere. All tests so far have been successful.
An interesting thing to note is that significant effort is being put into maintaining biological stability. The spacecraft itself is encased in a "bio-barrier" and has not been removed since construction and testing were finished in the clean-room at JPL. A special instrument on board even removes water vapor over the course of the trip so that there is as little contamination as possible from Earth. Both articles focus on the testing of the instruments and the steps taken to ensure that there is no contamination. You can tell that this is a big waiting game for everyone on the Phoenix mission, so it is the time when we get to hear about the interesting details and factors in the mission before the science takes over the media.