Protocols & Lab Techniques
Guides
Cell Culture Basics: A Beginner’s Guide for New Lab Members
A beginner’s guide to mammalian cell culture covering equipment, aseptic technique, media, passaging, cell counting, contamination control, and biosafety for new lab members.
Buffer and Solution Preparation: A Practical Lab Guide
The practical side of buffer preparation: choosing a buffer system, adjusting and verifying pH, sterilizing without degrading the buffer, and storing it correctly.
Cryopreservation of Cells: Basic Protocol and Best Practices
A step-by-step protocol for cryopreserving mammalian cell lines and primary cells: cryoprotectant selection, controlled-rate freezing, liquid nitrogen storage, thawing, and the mistakes that most often reduce post-thaw viability.
How to Write a Lab SOP: Step-by-Step Template and Guide
A practical, step-by-step guide to writing a lab SOP: the standard section structure, how to draft procedure steps that actually get followed, version control, review cadence, and a reusable template outline.
RNA Extraction Protocol Basics: Methods and Step-by-Step Overview
A step-by-step guide to RNA extraction: guanidinium-phenol-chloroform vs. column-based methods, RNase-free technique, DNase treatment, and how to assess RNA purity and integrity (A260/280, A260/230, RIN).
Pipetting Technique: Best Practices for Accuracy and Precision
A calibrated pipette still depends on the person using it. This guide covers the hand technique — tip selection, pre-wetting, immersion depth, aspiration speed, forward vs. reverse pipetting — that determines whether a measurement is actually accurate and precise on the bench.
DNA Extraction Protocol Basics: Methods and Step-by-Step Overview
A practical, method-by-method walkthrough of DNA extraction: the four core steps every protocol shares, when to use organic, salting-out, silica spin-column, magnetic bead, or CTAB extraction, a generic step-by-step workflow, and how to assess yield, purity, and common failure points.
ELISA Protocol Basics: Step-by-Step Overview
A step-by-step ELISA protocol covering plate coating, blocking, antibody incubation, washing, and detection, plus the four main ELISA formats and common troubleshooting fixes.
PCR Protocol Basics: How to Set Up a PCR Reaction
A step-by-step guide to setting up a standard PCR reaction: reagent components and concentrations, master mix workflow, thermal cycling parameters, primer design basics, and troubleshooting common failure modes.
Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Protocol Basics: What It Is and How It Works
A concept-and-protocol explainer for agarose gel electrophoresis: how size separation works, choosing agarose percentage, casting and running a gel, staining safely, and reading results.
Aseptic Technique: A Complete Guide to Sterile Lab Practices
Aseptic technique is the set of practices that prevent contamination of sterile materials, cultures, and samples by microorganisms. This guide covers the core principles, step-by-step procedures, and how aseptic technique differs from sterile technique.
Pipette Calibration: How and When to Calibrate Lab Pipettes
What pipette calibration checks, how often to calibrate based on usage and risk, in-house verification vs. accredited calibration services, the ISO 8655 gravimetric method, and what to do when a pipette fails.
Western Blot Protocol Basics: Step-by-Step Walkthrough
A complete step-by-step western blot protocol covering sample preparation, SDS-PAGE, membrane transfer, blocking, antibody incubation, detection, and troubleshooting common failure points.
Micropipette Types and Uses: Single-Channel vs. Multichannel
A practical explainer on micropipette types for lab work: single-channel vs. multichannel, volume-range families, air- vs. positive-displacement, and how to match a pipette to the task.
UV-Vis Spectrophotometer Basics: How It Works and Measures Concentration
How a UV-Vis spectrophotometer measures concentration: the absorbance/Beer-Lambert principle, instrument components, blanking, standard curves, common lab applications (A260/A280/OD600), and the most common measurement errors.
Serial Dilution Technique: How to Perform and Calculate
How to perform and calculate a serial dilution step by step, including the C1V1=C2V2 formula, a worked tenfold dilution series, and back-calculating original concentration from colony counts.
Molarity and Solution Calculations for the Lab
A practical walkthrough of molarity, mass-to-mole conversion, stock solution dilution math (C1V1=C2V2), and serial dilutions for the research lab, with worked examples and common error patterns.
