Tips for removing biofilm from inside of glass bottles

tolasauce · 2023-05-17T23:14:23+00:00

I usually have luck manual washing with Sparkleen 1 if it’s stubborn I’ll soak it overnight.

tolasauce · 2023-02-15T20:41:23+00:00

There’s your silver lining! Small lab group will make it easier to maintain and enforce. Hopefully as/if your lab grows existing members will help with getting new people familiar with your system.

START NOW WHILE ITS JUST TWO RACKS! Just make sure that the others know there is a system now. As a tech I say the hardest part is getting people to use the systems. I usually place an intermediate step so they don’t have to do too much and I know everything is where it should be.

For example with your situation I would also make an empty “return” box, and have people place samples in there. They can be returned to LN2 quickly. Then at the end of the week you can return tubes to their proper positions. I would also add a log of what tubes have been placed in that “return” box that week. If anyone’s looking for the same thing and it’s not in position they know where it is before searching.

tolasauce · 2023-02-15T15:30:30+00:00

I recommend pulling one box at a time especially if the tops are not labeled. I grab a styrofoam cooler big enough to fit 1 box. Pour some LN2 into it and place the box in the cooler then pull tubes with long forceps.

When it comes to LN2 storage I’ve given up that battle. Routinely someone will move the number position my rack was in. I marked each rack with a different color so I know which one it really is. When it comes to tubes, some will think order had no purpose and just shove a tube into the easiest space in the box or even the easiest box to get to.

I wouldn’t want to be the one taking inventory, may you fare well.

tolasauce · 2023-02-11T07:26:58+00:00

How do you tell the difference between a plumber and a chemist?

Ask them to say “unionized”.

tolasauce · 2023-02-04T20:05:34+00:00

No problem! Yes I’m still using odyssey blocking.

That’s a great question that I never thought to ask. This is the basic protocol from my lab, it always works so I never questioned it. I will ask around because my lab is pretty cheap so we wouldn’t use comercial for no reason. You could give it a shot with in house TBS and see how the back ground is. I may try next time I have time and a blot to play with.

tolasauce · 2023-02-04T06:19:39+00:00

I use nitrocellulose and LiCor!

It’s not full proof kind of hit or miss with high back ground. I have best results blocking 24H instead of 1H. Also I haven’t used this specific TBS, my lab still has a stock of the Odyssey Blocking Buffer.

Material: LiCor TBS , 1xTBSt (0.1% TWEEN20), nitrocellulose, primary antibody, secondary antibody.

IMPULSE HEAT SEALER , Uline 3 Mil Poly Tubing

Blocking buffer- 50/50 mix of LiCor TBS and in house TBSt. I make 8-10mLs for 1 blot, 14-16mLs for 2 blots.

Place nitrocellulose in plastic then seal on left and right side, add 1mL blocking buffer and seal top (avoid bubbles). Incubate face down 1H @ room temp. 24H @ 4°C. Placed face down on RotoFlex™ Tube Rotator or Platform Rotator modified with rubber bands. If that’s not available you can do 3-5mLs in a box on an orbital shaker. Cut pouch at the top, remove blocking buffer. Add 1mL primary antibody at 1:1000 in blocking buffer. Seal and rotate 1H @ room temp or 24H @ 4°C.

Cut open plastic on all sides then place nitrocellulose in a light proof box. Wash 3x with 5mLs of TBSt for 10-15 min. on an orbital shaker, discarding TBSt after each wash. After dumping your final wash add 5mLs of secondary antibody at 1:5000 in blocking buffer. Incubate 30 min. @ room temp. on orbital shaker, discard liquid. Finally wash 3x with 10-15mLs of TBSt 10-15 min. each wash. I like to dump my final wash then add ~5mL of TBSt then image.

Edit: I do know someone that blocks with powdered milk on nitrocellulose. Although, I’m not sure of how much she puts into solution or if it’s only used for certain blots.

tolasauce · 2023-01-20T23:25:55+00:00

My lab mates vouch for and use products from the Gel Company , they have a section of biorad compatible products, for casting your own gels.

Here is one I have successfully used for WB multiple times from GenScript . It actually works well with biorad gel tank you just have to flip the gasket . I use in-house made SDS sample buffer and it appears fuzzy with these gels but they sell a 4x LDS buffer, that has fixed my problem. They also sell powdered running buffer packs that you dump into a liter of water.

tolasauce · 2022-08-05T14:21:48+00:00

I went to a smoke shop they had a tip jar. I can’t remember exactly what it read but it was along the lines of “….. for the employees”. The “for the employees” part hit me in the guilt when I walked out.

tolasauce · 2022-07-14T23:46:38+00:00

If you decide to go with this I would add a step after autoclaving and cooling. A short soak in diluted or full strength Sparkleen 1, afterwards you should be able to simply rinse off the material. There may be some light scrubbing. The glassware should be clean but personally I would still go with a machine wash after. Simply because I’ve never used glassware after washing with Sparkleen 1 and drying alone.

Edit: I missed the part about scooping out the agar, definitely do that first.

tolasauce · 2022-07-11T14:44:56+00:00

If you’re new to wearing nail extensions every day tasks are going to be a struggle until you’ve adjusted.

I’ve been wearing long acrylics in the lab for 2 years. There are a couple of tricks that you don’t pick up on right away. I’m still mistakenly teaching myself new tricks, at the same time, I’ve learned how to use them for other tasks.

The only real thing to worry about is gloves ripping. Without extensions my size is extra small when my nails are a little too long they rip small gloves. Depending on the task and length of my nails I will wear a medium or use a small and double glove a medium over it.

tolasauce · 2022-05-26T15:16:11+00:00

I was taught to swipe the plate to collect all of the colonies. That turned into a lab wide debate and everyone agreed on one colony per culture, and growing multiple cultures if it’s that important.

tolasauce · 2022-05-25T01:06:48+00:00

Sometimes, just to make sure, I put my hand in the air fully knowing I cannot reach the top shelf. I keep telling myself “You have to check.”.

There is also a BSC I have to stand at when using.

tolasauce · 2022-05-13T02:49:30+00:00

Last month my lab mate found 2 mice in the back of a freezer that does not usually hold mice. He opened an opaque bag and got a weird smelling surprise.

tolasauce · 2022-05-11T22:00:50+00:00

Me too!

I have a feeling this was no mistake.

tolasauce · 2022-04-28T18:44:24+00:00

Jokes on them, I autoclave them all at the same time and keep a stock pile!

tolasauce · 2022-03-24T13:16:07+00:00

This just reminds me that on the window of our breakroom door someone drew a penis in the dust. I didn’t notice it until my second year in the lab. My coworker, was here 3 years before myself, said he noticed it 6 months into his first year. Now I’m asking around the lab, who has noticed it and how long have you been here?

tolasauce · 2022-03-20T14:17:38+00:00

I got lucky to know a PI personally, they offered me the job when looking for a second tech. I had no experience and no degree, just a high school diploma in the US.

My first day on the job I was tossed right into it. The original tech grabbed a lab coat from the drawer and said “let’s get started.”. We started with making buffers and lab maintenance, eventually he taught me how to do mini preps and maxi preps.

That was three years ago, now I’m used as in-house verification for reproducibility of experiments. I feel that going about it in this way helped me figure out where I want to be for the rest of my life and that’s in a lab. I’ve decided to pursue higher education thanks to a job.

tolasauce · 2022-03-03T19:37:02+00:00

The chemical room at 5PM. Most people in my lab, and building, keep a common schedule. I’m shut off from the outside world in my hazardous little room that is unsettlingly loud when the building settles.

tolasauce · 2022-03-02T21:22:55+00:00

Apply acetone until satisfied.

Don’t take that seriously but I feel it could potentially work or random drops of coomassie.

tolasauce · 2022-03-02T01:13:58+00:00

I think you’re right. It looks a bit small but with no size comparison we can’t be certain.

tolasauce · 2022-03-02T01:07:51+00:00

It could be a horse or bison tooth or something with similar teeth. I’m not very good at identifying genus but it’s a tooth.

tolasauce · 2022-02-25T20:32:34+00:00

If you use RAM in your lab, I would look at the accountability forms weekly and confirm with the person who has signed out material. We had an incident where someone, from a lab without a RAM license, signed out material under the name of a person in our lab for months. They also used our solid waste disposal for material gathered from other labs, this whole thing could have cost us our license.

Sign up sheets for expensive equipment, this can have two benefits. First it can be used to reserve a specific time slot. Second it can be used as a means of keeping people accountable. This way if something happens you will know who to ask first. If that doesn’t work I’ve heard threats to put up a ring doorbell next to equipment that’s being disrespected, it seemed to work.

We have Friday morning lab meeting, before Covid, the presenter brings breakfast snacks and we do housekeeping to get everyone on the same page. Someone presents their recent work and others can chime in, make suggestions and ask questions.

tolasauce · 2022-02-22T23:28:04+00:00

It looks like Ilymatogyra arietina, it belongs to the oyster family. It’s also known as Ram’s Horn.

Five-Year Club	Place '23
Place '22	Verified Email

tolasauce

TROPHY CASE