collective precautions - for newbie in th lab (Oct/11/2006 )
We have all been newbies in the lab, so we know it's OK to need a lot of help during this time. However, please! don't treat the people helping you as if it was their obligation. Being nice, saying thanks, etc will make your seniors more keen to help you. I'm talking out of experience here 
I am a newbie in my lab and I have the most wonderful seniors U can ever imagine. They know my problem before I even speak it. We have a language barrier but still I thank them for all the efforts they have been putting on me. It will make me feel really guilty if I cannot do anything good and make them proud someday.
And, lab is not the only place. . . I am grateful to everyone in this Bioforum. I learn so much from this place everyday and everyone here is a great teacher. I have been reading and following topics here and at the same time, it is so nice to see everyone talking in the chitchat . ..makes me feel that I am not lonely. Only this Bioforum gives me the feeling that I am also doing research ... and I have to prepare for the worst too . . .
Thank U everyone!
And thank U Erica for reminding us this!!
Nabin
Personal Protective Equipment (lab coat/apron, gloves, eye protection, etc.)
Everything has to have an acronym these days.....
- Add acid to water, never water to acid
Have your math/calculations double checked
Report with significant digits and scientific format
Never be afraid to ask but listen to and write down the answer (so you dont have to ask again)
Realize your limits, even the best at multi-tasking has limits
No matter how kind your boss is, they are your boss treat them as such
Remove the phrase "That's not MY job" from your mind
Don't idle and linger, there is always something to be done; lab invetory, cleaning the bench, etc.
Pay attention to who you email "All staff" is not a wise choice and the "reply"-"reply to all" crossover is a common oops.
Wear PPE but NOT in the breakroom or the bathroom!
That's all I can think of right now
Talk about newbie..I am a newbie in a new lab too..Sigh...@@
Plan the week as completely as possible. There will alway be changes but it is better to know what to do than to waste time.
Also plan every mornig what yoe are going to do!
Never wear Labcoat in your office or even in the cafeteria!
Always keep a secret stock of gloves and tissues. You will need them!
Be prepared and organized when going to ask PIs and other supervisors for help. It is very likely that PIs will not tell you what to do. They will give you insights but it will also involve PIs asking you questions in return. It would look bad if all you say is "I don't know" or "I didnt look it up." Even if you do not know something, say that but see if you can regurgitate something you read elsewhere remotely related to the topic.
i've been a bit away from science lately, but something i can think of that might be useful is to design your experiment considering the statistical tests you will use (and understand those tests!). if you find any differences in your experiments that you want to prove, it will have to be with statistics, there's no other way, it's not the same: "statistical differences were found (p < 0.01)" than "there seem to be differences...."
HI, here's some personal advice:
- always know what u r doing and WHY. Ask if u are unsure.
- Do not KNOW your results BEFORE the experiment! Your experiments will tell u the result NOT the opposite!
If u know what u r doing u'll know what u see.
- If u do real time with lots of primers u will have to do many plates: remember...ONE excel sheet with every result on is better than many excel sheets full of results u don't know how to handle!
bye
Fizban
There's lots of 'scientific' advice here, but I think this bit of practical advice is one of the simplest (but most important things) everyone working in a lab should do, and I can't believe no one's mentioned this yet:
Give everything a 'once over' at the end of an experiment, and at the end of every day.
Check over every place you worked during the day to make sure all the machines you used are turned off, all the reagents you used have been returned, all the kits you used have been put back in the box and the box has been returned to where it belongs, all your samples are in proper storage, and anything you used up has been replaced or refilled.
It's extremely discourteous to use up a box of gloves or kimwipes and leave the empty box there for someone else to deal with. (On a related note, I don't know why more than 50% of the people in the scientific community are incapable of throwing out the protective backing of parafilm, and instead leave it lying on the bench. It's one of life's great mysteries. Don't be a parafilm litterer.) Also, make sure that everything that is for common use is returned to where it belongs (reagents/books, etc.) and that all common equipment is left ready for the next user (scales, fume hoods, flow hoods, etc.)
Checking things over only takes a few minutes, but it makes life a lot easier for everyone in the lab, and also sometimes saves you from walking in the lab in the morning to discover that you left the water bath on overnight and it ran dry, or you left your samples out at room temperature overnight and ruined them. 
My two pence worth,
Ginger