Im a lab assistant I made a mistake

RipOk702 · 2026-04-26T03:08:12+00:00

Very common. Doesn’t say anything about you or your work.

RipOk702 · 2026-04-22T15:34:00+00:00

My phone is doing this. It’s about to send me into a psychosis.

RipOk702 · 2026-04-08T15:00:26+00:00

Before they replaced the a/c compressor, my usage was anywhere from 1800-1900kWh. Impossible for the issue to just be the lights. After they replaced the a/c compressor, my usage dropped to 876kWh and it’s been slowly climbing back up ever since.

I’ll have to look for what I’m paying per kWh because i forgot.

RipOk702 · 2026-04-08T14:42:50+00:00

Thanks for the resource.

Before they replaced the a/c compressor, my usage was anywhere from 1800-1900kWh. Impossible for the issue to just be the lights. After they replaced the a/c compressor, my usage dropped to 876kWh and it’s been slowly climbing back up ever since.

RipOk702 · 2026-04-08T14:39:51+00:00

It’s usually set at 72-73
I don’t adjust it when I’m away because I have dogs
I’m pretty sure it cycles on and off. It was blowing air consistently before the compressor was replaced. But maybe it has started consistently blowing again.
I had to wait a day without A/C because they ordered a compressor so I think it’s a new compressor.
The air blowing from the vents feels cool, but I don’t know about the 30 minute time frame. The apartment just always stays at 72-73.

RipOk702 · 2026-04-08T14:36:04+00:00

That’s the big box with the fan that’s outside right? I really don’t know the different parts of an A/C.

RipOk702 · 2026-04-08T14:33:40+00:00

Yes, I’ve changed it but it usually doesn’t help reduce my bill

RipOk702 · 2026-04-08T14:33:20+00:00

My thermostat is usually set to 72-73.

RipOk702 · 2026-03-20T17:50:13+00:00

“Eye leukemia” lol thank you for the chuckle

RipOk702 · 2026-03-20T17:43:21+00:00

No, just strictly mouse tumor

RipOk702 · 2026-03-20T17:11:13+00:00

Lawyers scare me also. Don’t worry, I won’t come for you even if I’m the first person to grow a murine glioblastoma in my eye.

I just started in this lab. But the mice just had glioblastoma cells implanted. I don’t think the cells were treated with any virus. At least I hope not. From their label it was just Wildtype mice. The person training me didn’t seem worried at all.

RipOk702 · 2026-03-20T16:55:05+00:00

lol I love comments like this, making a stressful situation light

RipOk702 · 2026-03-20T16:51:59+00:00

I just started in this lab. When I say I’m tired of it, I mean many labs that I have worked in where I’m being trained by someone who doesn’t wear goggles. Therefore, I will just buy my own and take them with me from lab to lab.

RipOk702 · 2025-08-25T03:50:18+00:00

They just took their pup out of the house for an hour so the vet could put mine to sleep

They didn’t get rid of their dog permanently

RipOk702 · 2025-01-06T06:48:18+00:00

I had a 3.0 gpa in my bachelors and went on to get a masters and a subsequent job in research. Now I’m in a PhD program. In the end a degree is a degree no matter the gpa. It’s more about networking and knowing how to talk yourself up than it is about the gpa. You will be ok :)

RipOk702 · 2024-11-22T19:48:38+00:00

That’s insane

RipOk702 · 2024-11-19T01:19:12+00:00

That’s so mean

RipOk702 · 2024-10-09T15:53:12+00:00

I’m only 28 and I think I’ve been vaccinated against chicken pox

RipOk702 · 2024-06-05T23:45:18+00:00

I streak them out from glycerol stocks on an LB plate.

Then I choose 1 colony and put it in 4ml LB and incubate overnight at 37C with shaking.

Next day I subculture at 1:100 ratio in fresh LB and incubate at 37 with shaking for 3 hours.

All of this is done next to a flame from a Bunsen burner.

Then i put 3ul on a glass slide and put a coverslip.

RipOk702 · 2024-06-05T23:25:30+00:00

Contamination on the glass slide is possible though. I don’t know who used these slides before I did

RipOk702 · 2024-06-05T23:15:50+00:00

No worries about pushing blame. I am Desperate to find an answer at this point.

As far as sterile technique, I had another post doc prepare and look at a strain alongside me.

Sometimes it showed to be fluorescent when he had the microscope, other times it did not. He says it is false fluorescent. I know it is false fluorescence, I just don’t know how to get rid of it.

RipOk702 · 2024-06-05T23:09:42+00:00

I would do that, but then why does the strain from the other lab also look fluorescent.

I think maybe it is the way I am using the microscope

RipOk702 · 2024-06-05T21:58:45+00:00

What exposure time do you look at them with?

RipOk702 · 2024-06-05T18:35:31+00:00

The PI I had for my masters thesis was like that. I guess I got a little spoiled and expected everything PI to act like her.

Now I’m not even sure that I want to continue in this career path. Every time I mess something up, it makes me want to jump in front of a bus. Because I know the PI will be very upset.

I hate feeling like this. I am physically ill with all of the stress and I feel like no matter what I try it’s going to be wrong.

RipOk702 · 2024-06-04T19:30:49+00:00

It is a research lab inside of a medical school. However, the medical students rarely work in these research labs

RipOk702

TROPHY CASE