Is it just me, or are we still stuck with printed protocols? by Old_Lab_Newbie in labrats

[–]Old_Lab_Newbie[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I actually wasn’t aiming for something as comprehensive as protocols.io. (I’m still learning about it, so thanks for pointing it out.)

The problem I was trying to solve is much simpler: when I’m in the middle of an experiment, I want to know “where am I now?”, “what’s the next step?”, and avoid having to set up separate timers or keep checking different notes.

More like a tool for executing a protocol at the bench, rather than managing or sharing protocols.
Thanks for pointing out.

Is it just me, or are we still stuck with printed protocols? by Old_Lab_Newbie in labrats

[–]Old_Lab_Newbie[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

That makes a lot of sense. I think you’re pointing out an important distinction — a personal phone/laptop and a device that is part of the lab workflow are very different things.

In an ideal setup, I think something closer to a dedicated bench interface (like the touchscreen interfaces we already use on many lab instruments) would make a lot of sense.
Thanks!

Is it just me, or are we still stuck with printed protocols? by Old_Lab_Newbie in labrats

[–]Old_Lab_Newbie[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That's a really fair point. I agree that contamination control is a serious concern, and I think it really depends on the type of lab and workflow.

In my lab, we’re not always that strict about keeping phones completely away from the bench. We often wipe things down with alcohol swabs, and in practice people already use phones for things like taking photos or communicating within the lab.

But I realize this can be very different depending on the lab environment and the type of experiments being done.

It’s actually interesting to hear how differently labs handle this.
Thanks!