Biology researchers have a bad habit of doing accurate assays using semi-accurate tools. Here are some suggestions on how to sharpen up the accuracy of your assays.
Is it just me who thinks that biology researchers can be a bit sloppy when it comes to making and dispensing reagents accurately? Analytical chemists would laugh at our faith measuring cylinders for anything other than fairly rough work like making up media.
When it comes to more accurate work, like making up assay standards, measuring cylinders just just don’t cut it anymore. Here are a few ways to ensure that your stock solutions/standards are as accurate as possible, allowing you to get your experiments off to the best possible start.
1. Make up solutions and standards using volumetric flasks.
For accurate and reproducible stock solutions your tool of choice should be a volumetric flask. Volumetric flasks are far more accurate than measuring cylinders and pipettes, especially if you use class A flasks, which are manufactured to extremely stringent standards. Volumetric flasks are available in various sizes from 1 mL upwards and you can find a guide to using them here.2. Use the correct balance, correctly.
Obviously there’s no point in using a highly accurate volumetric flask to measure the solvent volume, only to weigh out the solid using a balance that is too coarse for your needs. Make sure you use a balance that is made for weighing a mass in the range you require, and that it is calibrated and on a level surface.
For small masses, it is often quite difficult to weigh out exactly the amount you require. But normally , solutions don’t have to be made up to an exact concentration – you just need to know their concentration (whatever it is) exactly.
A good approach is to weigh out the reagent as close to the target weight as possible then, note down the weighed mass and make up the solution in the volumetric flask. The actual concentration of the solution you made up can then be calculated exactly..
3. Make reagents in large batches where possible
Another way to ensure that stock solutions are reproducible from experiment to experiment is to make them up in large batches where possible. This not only means that you are working with the same solution in each experiment, but also that you are using a larger volume when making up the solution, which should help with the accuracy.
4. Take into account the strength of reagents you are using.
When making up stock solutions, the strength of the reagent is often overlooked. If the reagent is less than 100% strength i.e. less than 100% of the mass is the actual reagent (the remainder being impurities), it will normally be stated by the manufacturer on the container and you should take this into account when calculating how much of it to use.
Say, for example, you need to weigh out 20g of a reagent to make a 1M solution, but the reagent is only manufactured to 97% percent strength. Only 97% (19.4g) of that 20g will be your reagent so you actually have to add 20.61g ([100/97]*20) of the solid to give you 20g of reagent… and 0.61g of the impurit(y/ies).
Do you agree that many biology researchers could/should do things more accuracy? Shout out your opinion in the comments.
Photo: Dublin Ninja
One of the most exciting things about being a scientist is doing experiments that have never been done before. Unfortunately, this can also be one of the most daunting aspects of science. Read on to make taking on your next experiment less daunting.
Although bench work is an integral part of becoming a successful scientist, it is by no means the only part of it. It is often the uncredited skill set possessed by many seasoned scientists that make them so valuable to employers and to further research. In this article I will highlight the less obvious skills…
Kits for DNA gel extraction are a great way to save time in the lab, but they are costly and produce much plastic waste. Discover three easy kit-free DNA gel extraction methods that can save you money and reduce waste in the lab.
As a researcher, it’s satisfying to manage your own projects and do the bench work yourself. After all, if you don’t have experience with a technique, you’re usually expected to figure it out (with or without direct supervision). In some situations, dealing with difficult molecular techniques is simply part of the job description. The scientific…
I’ve recently been doing some lyophilization of biological extracts. While I was preparing for the experiment, I became interested in the number of different methods there are for drying, concentrating and storing samples: freezing, freeze-drying, rotary evaporation, centrifugal evaporation and blow down drying. Here is a brief description of each technique for biological sample storage…
10 Things Every Molecular Biologist Should Know
The eBook with top tips from our Researcher community.
