Site Design and Maintainance,
Nora Edwards
Lab Manual Page
A Guide to the Crews LaboratoryDo not be intimidated by the content or length of this document. These are not the rigid rules of a dictatorship or fiefdom. Instead, it is my answer to the problem of communicating protocols, both procedural and intellectual, in a large scientific research laboratory. For example, ideas are intellectual property of which we all feel justifiably possessive. Because of this tendency, it is very easy to occasionally misunderstand others in the laboratory. This scenario is often caused by unfamiliarity with established laboratory procedure.
In the past I relied on verbally transmitting this type of information. Inevitably, though, I forgot to communicate certain things to new lab members; exactly what was left out varied. These inadvertent deletions were usually the source of later misunderstandings. To combat this, I started to develop a guide to laboratory procedures in 1987. What you are reading is the latest edition of this manual. As issues have arisen, the manual has been changed and updated. If new issues arise that are not dealt with already in the manual, it would be helpful to me if you bring them to my attention. The policies described herein are founded on my own experiences as an undergraduate, graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, and faculty member. They are not infallible. While the formulation of a laboratory policy has not been without problems, it has withstood the test of time.