So.. I was wondering if I'm going about the right way to ask questions about any problems I encounter in lab techniques eg DNA isolation and purification, PCR and sequencing etc..
I'm a newbie so I need help in this.

Yaasir..

yaasir on Aug 20 2009, 05:29 PM said:

welcome. .

this is the page to begin at : http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/index.php?

then U see many subforums . . like for your DNA thing it would be this : Molecular Biology

Then looked at the Pinned questions if your question has already been discussed. . . if not you may try 'search' as well

Then on the right side upper side you see '+ Topic' click on that and start your question making it as clear as possible for everyone to understand. Re-read the question again to be sure it is correct and then hit 'post'

After you post the question, you will see 'options' on the right upper side. Click on it and choose 'track this topic' so that if anyone answers the question, you will immediately know the answer.

As you are a newbie, you might also want to join our Radio Bioforum in Last.fm U can ask anything over there about anything without thinking about anything but chances are you will neved hear a reply

Hello Yaasir -- welcome to the BioForums!

Question are what we're all about here, so ask away. It is helpful when asking a question to include as much detail as you can -- this usually gets you an answer more quicly, because we can't troubleshoot your problem if we don't know what you did.

For example, writing "I digested my DNA, and ligated it to a vector, transformed E. coli, and it didn't work" doesn't give use much to work with. Including what enzyme you used for both your vector and insert, how you purified the resulting digests before ligation, whether you dephosphorylated the vector and how you did it, what your transformation protocol was, what controls you used and the results of the controls, how many colonies you got on your experimental plates, how you screened them, etc. makes it much easier for us to offer suggestions.

Just find the forum that most closely fits a question you have, and post away!