Mentors at Your Benchside

#40 — Are you struggling to write the discussion section of your paper? It can be daunting to put your results in context and to thoughtfully consider limitations and future experiments, but we've collected some useful advice to help you on your way.  Visit our website to read the full article. [1] If you need more help with your article, check out some of our other resources, such as this guide o...

#39 — Oil immersion microscopy can help increase your resolution in light microscopy. Which, in turn, can lead to better images; and who doesn’t want nicer microscopy images? But do you know why we use immersion oil and objectives for high-power magnification? And do you know how to use an immersion objective correctly? Listen to this episode of Mentors At Your Benchside to understand the theory b...

#38 — Artificial intelligence, or AI for short, is changing the way we analyze images and data in biology. But what exactly is AI? Listen to this episode for a brief primer on AI and to understand the differences between AI, machine learning, and deep learning. We'll discuss how biologists use AI to enhance their data analysis, simplify their image processing, predict their protein structures, and...

#37 — How do you measure how good you are as a scientist? How would you compare the impact of two scientists in a field? What if you had to decide which one would get a grant? One method is the h-index. In this episode, we discuss the metrics involved in measuring scientific performance, focusing on the metric of choice for many funding bodies, the h-index, and some of its limitations. Visit the o...

#36 — Don't let an inaccurate pipette ruin your experiments. In this episode of Mentors At Your Benchside we’re talking about how to check the accuracy of your pipette, so your results are reliable and repeatable. You can find the full article on our website. [1] Read more about cleaning [2] or calibrating pipettes [3] or learn how clean and calibrate your lab balance. [4] For more information on...

#35 — A smooth, perfect agar plate will make your microbial experiments a lot easier. Whether you're using LB, M9 or blood agar, tune in to this episode to learn how to pour the perfect plates every time. Visit our website to read the full article. [1] Explore other practical secrets of the bacterial world [2] on our website or find out how to avoid lab disasters. [3] Resources: 1.  How to Make th...

#34 — Whether you like it or not, you need to know the concentration of your protein samples accurately. Binding constants, enzyme kinetics, and activity assays all need accurately-quantified protein to deliver accurate results. But there's a head-spinning amount of protein quantification assays out there! The BCA assay, Bradford assay, biuret reaction, the Folin–Lowry assay—but hold on. Which ass...

#33 — Your lab. It probably doesn't look very nice, and often enough, it probably doesn't smell very nice either. Lumps of E. coli, fishy amines, eggy reducing agents. All uniquely rotten. What's your candidate for the worst lab smell? In this episode of Mentors At Your Benchside, we go through our top ten picks for the worst lab smell. Do you agree with us? Be sure to visit the original article,...

#32 — How do you know if your bacteria culture is ready for your experiment? In this episode of Mentors At Your Benchside we take a close look at the popular method of OD600 measurements as well as some other techniques you can use to find out if your bacterial culture is still growing. You can find the full article on our website. [1] Learn more about different bacterial strains [2] and get to gr...

#31 — CRISPR can do more than edit DNA. Cas13, a CRISPR-associated protein that can bind and cut RNA, provides the power of CRISPR for studying RNA. Listen to the episode to discover how you can use Cas13 to knock-down, modify or track RNAs in mammalian cells. Plus learn how Cas13 can help you detect specific RNAs in patient samples in a matter of minutes. Visit the original article on CRISPR-Cas1...

#30 — We have all heard about centrifugation, or more specifically, the horror stories associated with centrifugation going wrong. But don't let centrifugation scare you! In this episode, you'll learn how to properly balance, when to use the brake, what the difference is between RCF and RPM, and more. Read the full Whats and Whys of Centrifugation article for some of the most common issues that ca...

#29 — Ever wondered why you have to add protease inhibitors to your lysis buffer? In this episode of Mentors At Your Benchside we’ll tell you all about protease inhibitors, why they’re important and how to use and store them. To learn more about protease inhibitors and to access the table with information about common protease inhibitors, read the full article on our website [1] . Read more about...

#28 — SDS-PAGE gels can be run at constant current, constant voltage or constant power. But which is best? Listen to this episode of Mentors at Your Benchside to discover the differences between current, voltage and power, and how they affect how your gels run. Visit the original article to see a summary table of running your SDS-PAGE gels at a constant voltage, current or power. [1] We've also go...

#27 — Optimal conditions for DNA ligation reactions are a delicate balance between DNA molecules interacting and the enzymatic ligation reaction. In this episode, you'll discover our top 6 DNA ligation tips to improve the efficiency of your ligations and increase your cloning success rate! Read the full article to get more practical advice for optimizing DNA ligation reactions for cloning. [1] Wan...

#26 — Cryo-EM is a revolutionary imaging method that lets us see complex biostructures at higher and higher resolutions. But do you understand the mind-blowing science behind this technique? And what is cryo-electron microscopy, anyway? Why is the cryogenic aspect important, and how did it seemingly go from nothing to the big time? In the latest episode of Mentors At Your Benchside, we answer all...

#25 — Phenol extraction of DNA is a commonly used method for removing proteins from nucleic acids, for example, to remove proteins from cell lysate during genomic DNA preparation. It's commonly used, but not well understood. Listen to this episode to get a quick explanation of how phenol extraction of DNA works. Visit the original article to see handy diagrams on how phenol extraction works. [1] T...

#24 —  How can you best prepare for a postdoc interview? Here we cover 10 questions that are often encountered during the job-hunting process. Preparing answers to these questions, alongside doing some background research about the research group and PI, can give you the edge in securing that postdoc. You can recap these top 10 questions anytime by visiting the full article on popular postdoc inte...

#23 —  Creativity in Science: How a Good Imagination Can Help Your Research If you're stuck in a research rut in the lab, developing your creativity can help you find new solutions to current problems that may be impeding your scientific progress. In this episode, we explore 3 important questions you should consider to help spark your creativity in the lab and provide 8 simple tips to help achieve...

#22 — Research often requires you to use dangerous chemicals. From caustic acids and bases to pH solutions and toxic reducing agents, chemical hazards abound in the lab. In this episode, we'll take a look at ten dangerous chemicals in the lab and the harm they can cause you. Want to develop your understanding of chemical safety? Why not read the full article, [1] where you'll find lots of helpful...

#21 — Do you know the difference between cell confluency and cell number? Can you measure cell confluency accurately? Cell confluency measurements are essential in cell based experiments. Listen to this episode to learn what cell confluency is and different quantification methods.  Read the original article to get visual guides to help you understand and measure your cell confluency accurately. [1...

#20— Have you ever wondered how Laemmli buffer actually works? In this episode of Mentors At Your Benchside, we talk through the different components of Laemmli buffer, what they do and why they are essential for your SDS-PAGE experiments. Read the full article to learn more about this buffer and get a handy Laemmli buffer recipe. [1] Looking for more information on SDS-PAGE? Discover the theory b...

#19 — Listen to this episode to discover what alternative splicing is, the history of how it was discovered, and get key examples of splicing in action. Read the full article to learn more about alternative splicing, including a visual diagram of how splicing works. [1] Read our related articles to find out how alternative splicing can affect your experiments and discover methods for detecting spl...

#18 — Why are SDS-PAGE gels run vertically? What would happen if we ran them horizontally? Has anyone ever tried? Discover the answers to these questions and more in this episode of MAYB. To see what others are saying and join in the conversation, head over to the comments section in the original article on why SDS-PAGE is run vertically. [1] If this episode has ignited your desire for answers, Ch...

#17 — Why do some plasmids give a better protein yield than others? It may have a lot to do with the plasmid copy number. In this episode we talk about what plasmid copy number means, why it is important and how you can manipulate it to get the most out of your experiments. To learn more about plasmid copy number, read the full article on our site: https://bitesizebio.com/22824/how-to-manipulate-p...

#16 — Is your viva on the horizon? Many people think viva exams are going to be painful. But what if you could make your viva go smoothly and maybe even enjoy it? Listen to our top 10 viva tips to get advice from a viva survivor. To learn more about surviving your viva, read the full article on our site: https://bitesizebio.com/10109/top-10-tips-for-viva-success/