Lab techniques

[threecoins]

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I am VERY new to the lab but need to get up to speed very quickly. Is there an online resource that shows protocols for basic lab techniques ( cell culture, nucleic acid extraction, drug treatment of cell lines, siRNA transfection, gene knowdown in cell lines) in great detail ?

Thank you so much

 

[AGG]

abcam has a great collection of protocols on their website
http://www.abcam.com/index.html?pageconfig=popular_protocols

Also check out the archives on bitesizebio.com, as I've found them very helpful in the past.

Good luck!

 

[debateg]

The online protocols are great if you're trying something completely foreign to your lab, but your lab should provide you with the relevant protocols they use. Every lab uses slightly different protocols. For example, some labs use columns to extract nucleic acids, some use phenol/chloroform, and some use cesium preps, and many use all three depending on what they're trying to do. Even within a single protocol, every lab has variations or voodoo they do to make things work. Even though the online protocol says you must centrifuge for 5 mins at 3000g, your lab may do it for 4 mins and 22 seconds at 3200 g because someone determined that worked better. It may make no sense, but after having worked in a lab for long enough, you will understand why people do silly things like that.

If the lab does not have those written down, follow along with someone doing the protocol and write it down as they go. Type it up, save it, and then review it. Pull it out when you do the protocol.

 

[uniqenam]

The online protocols are great if you're trying something completely foreign to your lab, but your lab should provide you with the relevant protocols they use. Every lab uses slightly different protocols. For example, some labs use columns to extract nucleic acids, some use phenol/chloroform, and some use cesium preps, and many use all three depending on what they're trying to do. Even within a single protocol, every lab has variations or voodoo they do to make things work. Even though the online protocol says you must centrifuge for 5 mins at 3000g, your lab may do it for 4 mins and 22 seconds at 3200 g because someone determined that worked better. It may make no sense, but after having worked in a lab for long enough, you will understand why people do silly things like that.

If the lab does not have those written down, follow along with someone doing the protocol and write it down as they go. Type it up, save it, and then review it. Pull it out when you do the protocol.

^^ Often you'll get a protocol from a paper, and spend a good semester (as an undergrad) just trying different things: separate for 2 hours, for 30 mins, at room temp, outside, while saying prayers, without a left sock, etc. until you find the right one that works. Way better to just find someone who's done it.