Planning to Work in the Laboratory

This book covers the fundamentals of instrumentation as well as the applications, to lead to better utilization of instrumentation by all scientists who plan to work in diverse scientific laboratories. It should serve as an educational tool as well as a first reference book for the practicing instrumental analyst. 

Work in a chemical laboratory is effective only when it is performed conscientiously, with an understanding of its theory. Moreover, every chemical operation requires that the experimenter he careful and attentive. Even an experiment that seems to be quite harmless may result in serious consequences when it is planned improp- erly. This is why students are allowed to work in a laboratory only after preliminary briefing. 

Before commencing work in the laboratory, sound planning of the experiment to be undertaken is essential. The detail of such planning, and the level of personal responsibility involved by the laboratory worker, depends on the degree of expertise that has been previously acquired. Three levels of experience may be recognised for the user of this book, although it should be realised that the transition between them is a continuous process. 

If you are planning to do some analysis yourself there are several steps that you need to take before you start work in the laboratory. 

Planning for safety is essential because once you begin the experiment it s often too late to stop what is going to happen. The concepts and principles in this book prepare you to carry out work in the laboratory and to conduct experiments safely. Nevertheless, this book can only deal in basic principles and cannot foresee all future experiments. Because every experiment is different, its hazards require careful consideration to minimize opportunities for adverse events or incidents. Your safety and the safety of others depend on you consistently and repeatedly applying what you have learned. This is a continuous... 

The design of subsequent experiments depends on one s early findings thus, care and skepticism must be exercised at the outset. From the first result in the laboratory, the investigator begins to formulate a model and to make plans to test it. Learning how to do so is a major goal for a person doing work in kinetics. 

A safe laboratory is the result of both good design and proper work rules. The laboratory operator, as the only person fully aware of the work to be performed, must be involved in all safety planning. He will be the one who can supply the safety experts with the information they need. 

Consider in advance the work to be undertaken - plan what is needed in terms of chemicals, glassware, movement about the laboratory, and specific training. Include a plan for what to do in the event of something going wrong. 

Ex situ (also known as spotted or printed) arrays have become very popular formats, especially for the building of custom noncommercial arrays used primarily by academic laboratories [see Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) surveys on microarrays atwww.abrf.org]. The printed cDNA microarray was largely developed from gene expression work originating in the laboratories of RO. Brown and R.W. Davis at Stanford University (Schena et al., 1995). Plans for the construction of the microarrayer and split pin designs were available at the Brown lab website at http //cmgm.stanford.edu/ pbrown/mguide/index.html. This enabled researchers to prepare their own microarrays appropriate for their particular experiments. 

All activities within the laboratory must be well stractured and organized to avoid ineffective movements or actions. This ineffectiveness can be corrected with the proper layout of instruments and work areas in the laboratory and a proper laboratory activity plan. 

The GLP standards can be successfully implemented in a non-GLP anal5dical laboratory. The key to success is for management and staff to fully understand the ramifications of the decision and to set in motion a plan to achieve compliance. The plan should include a time line, assignment of responsibilities, and self-audits. The outcome wiU be an improvement in the overall quahty of the anal5dical work produced by the lab and the abUity to participate in a specialized analytical market niche. 

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