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Starting Life in the Lab

Starting Life in the Lab. Dr. Gail P. Taylor 08/20/2012. References. At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator. Kathy Barker. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 1998. Personal Experience. On the Job Training. Sink or Swim? Common to feel like fish out of water DO NOT FREAK OUT!

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Starting Life in the Lab

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  1. Starting Life in the Lab Dr. Gail P. Taylor 08/20/2012

  2. References • At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator. Kathy Barker. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 1998. • Personal Experience

  3. On the Job Training • Sink or Swim? • Common to feel like fish out of water • DO NOT FREAK OUT! • Learn by Osmosis…or attend this lecture… • Important to know… • Who is in the lab • What to wear • Who will teach you • Ethical behavior • What to ask • How do you “fit in” • How NOT to annoy people • How you will be evaluated….

  4. Who is in the Lab? • The Principal Investigator (P.I.) • Research Scientists • Technicians (never annoy them) • Postdocs • Graduate students • M.S. (UTSA graduate “means” M.S.) • Ph.D. • Undergraduate students

  5. Safety • No eating, drinking, smoking in lab • Wear lab coats as needed • In lab – remove when leave lab • Wear long pants/sleeves and closed shoes • Natural fibers preferred (fire) • Wear gloves when handling chemicals • Note Biohazard or Radioactive signs… • Food must NOT be in research fridge

  6. Things to ask about • Dress practices for that lab (avoid synthetics!) • Time others are in the lab • Time your trainer will be in the lab (course time?) • Eating areas and food storage • Computer use policies • Chemicals: location, who makes stock solutions, pH measurement, weighing conventions, ordering • Trash disposal: sharps, biohazard, recyclables, glass • Glassware policies: where found, washing, autoclaving • Laboratory coats: required, provided, cleaning • Lab notebook: provided, format, copies, non-removal • Photocopying and printing

  7. Laboratory Instruction • Some done by observation • Generally a laboratory member will instruct • Take detailed notes!!!! • Names • Equipment settings • Incubation times and temps • Locations of chemicals and reagents • Instructions • Ask questions during instruction times • Be polite about subsequently interrupting • Do NOT mess up by not asking question

  8. Things to Do Early On • Read papers that you are given • Cooperate with university requirements • Laboratory/radiation safety courses • Animal care and use • Learn what is expected of you • Learn techniques • Do an experiment • Learn the “Unwritten Laboratory Rules”

  9. Intro to Laboratory Ethics • Never make up or “fudge” data • Even if you make mistake • Even if mentor is annoyed • Even if you feel pressured • Always record ALL data and experiments • Let your work be your own • Plagiarism • Referencing • Never mislead mentor • Maintain strong notebook

  10. How to Annoy People I • Work fewer hours than expected • No-show appointments for training • Leave lab with unfinished experiments • Leave a mess or stuff on benches or in sink • Command anybody to do something for you • Use someone’s pipettors, buffers, reagents (chemicals) without permission • Move common use chemicals/reagents/equipment • Use a solution or chemical up and don’t tell • “Hide” mistakes and things you break

  11. How to Annoy People II • Ignore alarms (turn off but tell someone) or broken equipment • Be noisy on phone, or phone rings all the time • Ignore sign-up sheets for common equipment • Be loud, engage in horseplay, when others are trying to focus • Use lab copiers for homework • Read a novel, newspaper, do homework (?), or play a computer game in the lab (read sci papers!) • Keep comparing this lab to a prior one • Skip laboratory meetings

  12. Fitting In • You are a part of laboratory family • Participate in laboratory socialization • Tea • Coffee • Sports • Complete laboratory responsibilities • You may have a job to do in lab

  13. Societal Microcosm • Variable levels of maturity • Variable strengths • Variable social skills • Variable insecurities • Your goal: • To be mature and hardworking • Key: Communication!

  14. What Your Mentor is Looking for: • (What do you want on LOR for Grad School) • Excitement about research • Honest • Hard Working • Teachable • Learns from mistakes • Reacts positively to failure • Thinking, not just performing (Ideas!) • Digging into literature • Problem solving • Thinking of the next experiment • Maturity

  15. Rewards for UG Research! • Greatly enriched science education • Insight into career • New friends and network (letters) • Preparation for attending doctoral program • Career training

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