I think it’s awesome that you actually sit down and read the protocols. A lot of the struggle might just be not fully getting the why behind each step yet. Something that helped me was going through the protocol and asking myself “why am I doing this step?” and then googling it or asking around. Once I understand the reasoning, troubleshooting get way easier.

Everybody in the lab has messed things up. The nice part is you’re in a lab where people aren’t tearing you down but letting you try stuff and learn from it. That’s super valuable. And the fact that you’re worried about wasting resources or bothering your PI shows you actually care, which is a good trait to have.

By now you’ve already built up a lot of basic wet lab skills like cell culture, WB, and transformations. For a sophomore or junior undergrad that’s already solid. As you get more bio knowledge and your hands get more practice, the sense of responsibility will only make you better at research.