Week 4 Flashcards
A hypothesis
addresses an unsolved question
What are some things to consider when setting up your experiment?
-Variables (concentration, time)
-Controls
-Small-scale experiment
-Number of samples to be run to be time/cost effective
-Reproducibility of data to be statistically significant
What are the main types of controls?
-Experimental controls
-Positive controls
-Negative controls
-Treatment controls
-Time point controls
Experimental design
-Work from SOPs first
-Adjust protocols if needed to fit your needs
-Make sure you have all materials and equipment
-Make sure to label
-Make sure you have booked enough time
Short term goals for lab
Completing project on time within budget
Intermediate goals for lab
Purchasing novel equipment for your process
Long term goals for lab
Setting up a sustainable method of production
What are some considerations for planning and organization?
Review your goal and determine what is the minimum you need to complete it
-Whether you need specific reagents or equipment
- Order items
-Booking time with equipment
-Delegate any tasks to maximize your time
WIN what’s important now
When planning a project should you think backwards or forwards?
Think backwards, plan out your project thinking about the ending first and work towards you short term tasks
Why is a laboratory notebook important?
A record of methods and results, also known as “grab in case of fire” and “if you get run over tomorrow” books
Must be clearly written for another scientist to follow easily
Can be a source of troubleshooting
Use legal format
Lab notebooks are not personal property, they stay with the institution
What else should be included in a lab notebook?
-Copies of SOPs and calculations
-Dates and titles
-Alterations to protocol
-Lot numbers, passage number of cell lines
**Remember to include if the changes were an improvement or not
P value (probability)
tests whether the observed deviations from the hypothesis could occur by chance, if P value is very small, your hypothesis is thought to be true
What are the steps in troubleshooting?
Step 1: Check equipment, supplies, and protocol
Step 2: Run without sample, checking controls
Step 3: Ask for advice/help (time sensitive)
Step 4: Switch gears/termintate
Formally presenting your data can include
-Lab presentations (research meetings, scientific seminars)
-Conferences (oral & poster presentations)
-Publishing (journal articles, grants)
What are industrial meetings?
-Focused on manufacturing practices of the week and any issues with equipment etc. Can include troubleshooting suggestions. Hosted by sales and product representatives.
-Can be weekly or monthly depending on supervisor
What are academic lab meetings?
Addresses projects of the lab can be weekly or bi-weekly. Includes an external speaker or graduate student to present to the lab
Poster presentations
-Posters can be left up for hours or days but usually presentation time frame is 2 hours
-Observers will come by and read through your work, best to limit your time with each observer so you can speak with as many people as possible
Oral Presentations
-Mostly given by principal investigator, senior graduate students, and lab managers
-In academic settings you may be responsible for preparing the data to present for principal investigator, you will be expected to help senior graduate students with data organization.
Publishing in academic labs
-Increases their presence and recognition in the respective scientific field
-Contributes to a body of knowledge
-Becomes competitive for grant funding
Publishing in industrial labs
-Show their contributions to research and not just to profit
-Present their claim to a new drug (product) through clinical trials and basic research
-Continue collaborative efforts with academia
What are some tips on publishing?
- Consider each experiment as a figure in your paper, does it tell a story?
- Compile all your figures/graphs before you start writing
- Complete the story
- Have it reviewed by 3 colleagues before your supervisor
- Consult with your supervisor on how to modify your work to fit the style of a particular journal
What are grant proposals?
A well thought out plan that addresses:
-What you want to accomplish
-How much it will take as a whole and individual steps (budget)?
-Who will be responsible for each step? collaborations?
-What is the time frame?
-What are the back-up plans, trouble-shooting strategies?
What is the process for applying for a grant?
-Need to convince a funder you have a good idea/plan
-Soft money
-Extension of a scientific manuscript with budgets/plans
-Strong grants will have published work already in them
-Can submit to multiple agencies (with revised format)
-Collaborations (co-grants) are done but tricky
What are some federal granting agencies?
-Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
-Canadian Institutes of Health Research
What are some examples of private funding?
When government doesn’t give you funding
-Pharmaceuticals
-Private companies
-Private donors
