what should be put into the lab notebook
Posted by cai-lab | Filed under tip
still a work in progress
Keep every page of the notebook
The first 2-4 pages of the notebook use as reference point to plasmid design page, important experiment note, etc
Put short code explanation in the first several pages
For imaging experiments using microscopy: create individual folder for every experiment, with year-month-day as part of the folder name; I like to put channels, lens used, z step size, time interval etc in the folder name as well
For DNA/molecular cloning experiments: keep every gel picture - tape it in the notebook and clearly mark every line, how it was digested, PCRed, etc; keep note on any modification to existing vectors, and create a digital file for every significant modification
For protein gel or Western experiments: write down how the samples were prepared, from how many cells or what's the size of the culture dish, how much lysis buffer was used, how much was loaded onto the gel, etc; write down the primary, secondary antibody used, with their dilution and incubation condition
When trying out a new experimental protocol, write down every details, either directly on the notebook, or on the printout protocol and tape it back when done. Once the protocol is working, modify the digital version immediately