24-well agar plate format - Allows for some decent automation in cloning and you still get 5ml cultures of growth for producing protein.

Reformatting by hand - "I'll just label the tubes afterwards." 🤠

Fun Elrig event at
@Ginkgo
last night. Got to see the Zymergen carts again in action. They keep getting better. Big Q is how freakin expensive are they? 😭

Small joys of the lab #4: That smell of fresh media in the morning.

You know what. $10/pen is not even that shocking. Prices of lab stuff has numbed us all...

When you can't find an ultra-fine Sharpie. Like writing with a crayon.

A lot of lab work should not have to be thought of as experiments. More processes should be off-the shelf and dependable. But new labs still have to spend time on making techniques work that have been in common use for ages.

Makes me appreciate kits manufacturers so much more!

Small joys of the lab #3: You get as much fine crushed ice as you want. Like the best ice. Buckets and buckets of it. Yes I do put it in my drinks too - It's fine. (Disclaimer: I didn't tell you to eat the ice from your lab.)

a girl is building a pyramid out of playing cards .. ALT: a girl is building a pyramid out of playing cards ..

Yes and

Love this setup for integrating PCR machine with liquid handler using lids for sealing. Especially early days before you can afford a sealer/peeler. Simple. 🧘

Small joys of the lab #2: You get to spin things REALLY fast. 24,000 RPM in this centrifuge with the right rotor reaching an RCF of 62,465 × g. (Would smash these plates to bits)

Running experiments is more like baking than you'd think.

Will share for sure. Any chance you'd be up for doing some of the research in a more open way? Like publish experiments and protocols along the way (even some that fail? 👀). Let me know if you're interested, it's super easy to do on our platform (and free). Anyway, good luck !

🚨 PhD Opportunity Alert! 🚨 I'm thrilled to announce my new project, Watchers on the Wall, exploring how plant cells sense and respond to stress through their walls. 🌱 A 5-year fully funded PhD position is open—please share with potential candidates! 👇 (1/7)

Industry standard way of noting down gel layouts.
Invitrogen e-gel bags def my fav. Plus it comes with a pre-cast gel!

Small joys of the lab #1: Feeling like a claw machine when picking up tubes from a crowded rack.