Basics of Laboratory Research and Experimental Design
Experimental Design
An important part of your experiment is to envision how it will be accomplished. Before you even begin setting up an experiment, you should understand what you want to measure and why you are measuring it. Include details on the wiki and update your Research Plan.
You should sketch out how you will set up the experiment. If you have an existing experiment, think about what if anything needs to be modified.
After you have an idea of what sort of experiment you will run and how you will set it up, you should utilize Process Controller to automate the experiment. Details of how to use Process Controller can be found on the wiki.
Equipment in the Laboratory
Tubing and Tubing Connections
There exist two types of tubing that we utilize in conducting experiments: flexible (easily bendable) and inflexible tubing.
Peristaltic pump tubing is rubber and has sizes of 13, 14, 16, 17, and 18. Rubber pump tubing can be connected to other types of tubing using a barbed fitting. Only put rubber tubing on the barb. Note: If you put inflexible tubing on a barbed connector, you may never get it off again.
Simple rules to remember:
- Rubber tubing for peristaltic pumps with a barbed connector.
- Inflexible tubing goes with a push-to-connect connector.
- Other flexible tubing is useful in creating coils and bends and can be put into a push-to-connect connector.
Making Tubing Connections
When you make a connection utilizing a push-to-connect connector, ensure that you push the tube as fully in as you can go. You should feel a pop, when the tube is fully in and is caught by the push-to-connect connector.
With rubber tubing, ensure that the tubing tightly fits over the barbed part.