At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator

Features

• Cover Type: Spiral Bound with 465 pages
• Published by: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
• Edition: 2nd Edition November 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0879697083
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0879697082
• Book Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.3 x 1.4 inches
• Weighs: 3 pounds

Product Review
'It is highly recommended for anyone working in research-from undergraduate students to primary investigators, either in academy or industry. In my opinion, this is a ' must have' volume for any laboratory. --The Quarterly Review of Biology

Product Description
"At the Bench" is a unique and hugely successful handbook for living and working in the laboratory, an essential aid to understanding basic lab techniques and how research groups work at a human level. In this newly revised edition, chapters have been rewritten to accommodate the impact of computer technology and the Internet, not only on the acquisition and analysis of data, but also on its organization and presentation. Alternatives to the use of radiation have been expanded, and figures and illustrations have been redrawn to reflect changes in laboratory equipment and procedures.

Reader Reviews
This review is from: At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator (Spiral-bound) This is a wonderful resource for any lab that has rotating personnel. Often, experienced researchers don't have the time or interest to orient new people but it's all here, and I would be surprised if even an experienced scientist could read through this whole manual without finding useful information. The author uses common sense and a casual style, and assumes that the reader knows nothing. Early chapters explore BASIC basics, like getting along with colleagues, getting started the first week, questions to ask, and safety procedures; lab setup and equipment; and organization. Later chapters discuss designing and setting up experiments, using a lab notebook, presenting data, making reagents, including storage and disposal, and working in a sterile environment. Final chapters detail work with eukaryotic cell cultures, bacteria, dna/rna/protein, radioactivity, centrifugation, electrophoresis and a light microscope. Along the way, the reader will learn how to format a journal article, work in a hood, or stay in touch with the PI. The only thing missing is library research, but since this is a bench guide that seems a forgivable omission. Spiral bound and formatted for easy access and understandability, the volume concludes with a glossary and a good index. Black and white line drawings and pictures identify items found in labs and illustrate techniques from pipetting to making entries in a notebook. This is not a textbook written by someone who's never worked in a laboratory; it is a sensible, intelligent guide -- the dream tour you'd like to have each of your technicians or students given if you only had the time! Also handy if a person is having problems and you want to refer them to written material. Any working lab could benefit from the addition of this volume. Fabulous.