The basic procedure performed by any molecular biologist is, naturally, cloning. You may wish to clone a DNA fragment into a plasmid for many purposes, such as protein expression and purification, gene knock out / silencing / overexpression, reporter gene fusion to a gene of interest, and many more. Whether you plan on doing one thing or another with the plasmid you cloned, when it comes to the cloning procedure you will need to perform the same steps, which are the ABC’s of molecular biology.

The Apple iPhone was voted recently as one of the 10 greatest modern inventions ever, all while being hailed as “changing the universe” due to allowing us to have everything we need at our fingertips.  The iPhone’s sister device, the iPad, has further pushed the technological envelope while easing basic tasks such as email, note-taking, reading, and other endless applications that could only be done at a computer.  One area where the iPad can have a tremendous impact in its utility is academia and the research setting—helping to increase productivity, creativity, planning, and even streamlining daily tasks. While there are many niche, specialized, helpful apps for a wide range of scientific disciplines, and an even bigger subset for science fans, few apps can truly be called indispensible for researchers.  Below are five that any academic research scientist could and should have on their iPad:

…and how to resolve the friction

Happy New Year, everyone! All of us at Labguru hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and are ready for successful and prosperous research experiments in 2012. With every new year, of course, comes New Year’s resolutions—things we hope to do differently than we did in the past or perhaps some new positive additions to our routines. Nowhere is this more applicable for researchers than the place they spend the majority of their time: The lab.

Laboratories (along with their offices and recreational areas) are inherently collaborative environments. We must share them with our lab mates in a cooperative and collegial way to ensure mutual success. Nevertheless, our research projects and lab work are often individual efforts that conflict with this philosophy.

So, without further ado, here are some common laboratory habits to consider putting on your New Year’s resolution list: