The Q: The Quartzy Blog for lab managers and scientists

So you want to try a new reagent. But whether it’s to replace one that you have previously used or to start on a new project, one important question always arises: how do you know that it will work? Even if the manufacturer’s website shows data and

Many frustrating experimental results happen because you made a mistake. In hindsight, you realize you set up the reaction incorrectly or you were rushing and messed up the purification. Mistakes happen. Sometimes, though, you cannot find any good

It seems that all scientists have had that moment– the moment where you feel totally defeated by a machine. At some point in your day you will likely need to use some piece of equipment for experiments – incubators, shakers, microscopes, computers –

As I enter into what is likely the final year of my PhD in the Biomedical Sciences program at the University of California San Diego, I regularly find myself contemplating the last four years. Although my experience has been a generally positive

With the demands of research as they are, labs often become bustling centers of activity. Ultimately, we all want to generate a substantial amount of exciting data that would further our projects and publications in a timely manner despite also