Mentors at Your Benchside

#75 — Counting your cultured cells is vital to seeding the right density for your experiments, harvesting an appropriate amount of downstream experiments, preparing cells for flow cytometry, and more. Luckily it's pretty easy with a hemocytometer. In this episode of Mentors At Your Benchside, we talk you through the four steps of counting cells using a hemocytometer, including best practices so your count is accurate.

Visit the original article for helpful images of the hemocytometer grid, [1] read up on why cell counting is so important, [2] and get your free cell culture posters, including a handy hemocytometer poster. [3]

Resources:
1. Cell Counting with a Hemocytometer: As easy as 1, 2, 3… Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13687/cell-counting-with-a-hemocytometer-easy-as-1-2-3/
2. A Numbers Game: the ‘How’ and ‘Why’ of Counting Cells. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/22758/a-numbers-game-the-how-and-why-of-counting-your-cells/
3. Bitesize Bio's Handy Cell Culture Posters. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/cell-culture-posters/

#74 — Understanding how a technique works make it simpler to troubleshoot when things go wrong in your experiments. Learn how alkaline lysis works in this short and simple step-by-step run-through of the process.

Check out the original article for links to helpful resources, [1] discover five ways to clean up a DNA sample, [2] and get tips on preparing your vectors for gene cloning. [3]

Resources:
1. Lab Basics: How The Alkaline Lysis Method Works. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/180/the-basics-how-alkaline-lysis-works/
2. 5 Ways to Clean Up A DNA Sample. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/142/5-ways-to-clean-up-a-dna-sample/
3. 5 Tips on Vector Preparation for Gene Cloning. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13500/cloning-tips-vector-prep/

#73 — PCR is a fundamental technique all biologists rely on, and, for qPCR, we can construct a standard curve that tells us how good or bad our primers are.

In this episode, learn all about qPCR standard curves, what they tell you about your primers, and what to try if something doesn't look correct on your standard curve.

Check out the corresponding online article for an example qPCR curve. [1] For more PCR essentials, download our free eBook that explains everything you need to know. [2] And to drill specifically into the efficiency of your PCR, read our article on determining qPCR efficiency. [3]

Resources:
1. The qPCR Standard Curve: The Key to Good qPCR Data. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/31470/obligate-qpcr-standard-curve/
2. The Fundamentals of qPCR and RT-qPCR. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/the-fundamentals-of-qpcr-and-rt-qpcr/
3. Important Considerations for Determining qPCR Efficiency. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/3177/determining-qpcr-efficiency/

#72 — Research requires imagination and strategy, and helpful distractions can give us the mental rest we need to recharge. Fun hobbies for scientists can provide inspiration, creativity, fitness, articulacy, and a much-needed break. Discover our top 10 hobbies for scientists, and find a new hobby that could also benefit your research.

Visit the original article for links to related resources [1] and discover why creativity is so important in science. [2] For more helpful tips to boost your research, read our article on how to give an engaging talk [3] or take our course on critical thinking. [4]

Resources:
1. 10 Fun Hobbies for Scientists. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/74251/hobbies-for-scientists/
2. Creativity in Science: How a Good Imagination Can Help Your Research. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/63742/creativity-in-science/
3. How to Give a Great Scientific Talk and Engage Your Audience. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/29880/great-scientific-talk/
4. How to Critically Review a Scientific Manuscript. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/courses/critical-review/

#71 — A good histology slide can give you beautiful, revealing microscope images of your precious tissue samples. But what goes into preparing slides for histology?

Whether you're new to the game, have only ever sent your samples off for slide preparation, or need a refresher, this episode explains how histology slides are prepared.

Check out the corresponding article for links to related histology resources. [1] Plus, learn about the different fixes for histology [2] and the various ways you can section tissues. [3]

Plus, check out our histology hub for more histology content, from free posters and guides to articles and a jargon-busting glossary of the common terms. [4]

Resources:
1. How Histology Slides Are Prepared. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13398/how-histology-slides-are-prepared/
2. 4 Fixatives for Histology and Cytometry. Perfect Your Preservation. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/22141/fixation-and-flow-cytometry/
3. The Perfect Slice: Preparing Tissue Samples For IHC. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13396/the-perfect-slice-preparing-tissue-samples-for-ihc-2/
4. Histology Made Simple: An Easy Guide for Bioscientists. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/histology/

#70 — Sterilization is a critical technique in the biology lab. It keeps your cell lines free from contamination, allows safe disposal of used items, and prevents breakouts of phage!

In this episode, we discuss six sterilization techniques and explain how they work.

Read the original article for additional resources on basic lab techniques. [1] If you're curious about how UV light damages DNA, read this article. [2] And check this article out for the lowdown on filtration. [3]

Resources:
1. 6 Laboratory Sterilization Methods. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/853/5-laboratory-sterilisation-methods/
2. How UV Light Damages DNA and the Havoc it Can Cause to Your Experiments. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/36762/how-uv-light-damages-dna/
3. How Filtration Works: A Short Guide for Biologists. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/59280/how-filtration-works/

#69 — Figures are a fundamental way to communicate science and are essential components of journal articles.

In this episode, learn the differences between vector and raster image types, hear the pros and cons of various common file types, and get the lowdown on common parameters such as color models and DPI.

Check out the original article for an easy table that summarizes the key differences between image types. [1] Plus, if you want to make beautiful images of proteins and DNA, read our step-by-step tutorial, [2] and if you need some inspiration, check out our article on the science of figure creation for ideas to make your figures stand out. [3]

Resources:
1. The 2 Types of Digital Images: Tools to Prepare Stunning Images for Publication. https://bitesizebio.com/43785/an-introduction-to-digital-images-in-publications/
2. Learn to Draw a Molecule in PyMOL™ in 8 Easy Steps. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/54445/molecular-visualization-tool/
3. The Art and Science of Figure Creation: Think BIG to see Small. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/30920/art-science-figure-creation/

#68 — Controls are fundamental to getting meaningful data. Especially in long, drawn-out experiments like immunofluorescence imaging. In this episode, we explain 5 types of immunofluorescence control, what they tell you, and why they are critical for your experiments.

Check out the original article for links to loads of related resources [1], and you can access all this information as a beautiful poster for your lab. [2]

Resources:
1. 5 Controls for Immunofluorescence: A Beginner’s Guide. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/44370/controls-for-immunofluorescence-a-beginners-guide/
2. Bitesize Bio's Ultimate Immunofluorescence Troubleshooting Guide. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/immunofluorescence-troubleshooting-guide/

#67 — What are those mysterious extra water molecules at the end of some chemical names? Do they matter to your experiments? And what should you do when they aren't water but are something more intrusive like HCl?

In this episode, we answer all those questions and tell you everything you need to know about water of crystallization.

Check out the original article for handy figures that illustrate water of crystallization in real chemicals. [1] And if you want more info on the chemistry that happens in biology labs, check out our article explaining what common buffer additives do [2] and read this article to learn more about pH, pI, and pKa. [3]

Resources:
1. What is Water of Crystallization? Everything You Need to Know. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/73932/water-of-crystallization/
2. Just What Do All These Additives Do? Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/19420/just-what-do-all-these-additives-do/
3. The Definitive Guide to pH, pKa, and pI. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/9425/what-is-ph-pka-pi/

#66 — Are your plasmid yields low? Not sure what is considered a good yield? Need help boosting the amount of plasmid you get from your preps?

In this episode, we discuss what is a good and bad yield, why your plasmid preps might be sub-optimal, and how you get better yields.

Read the original article for an easy protocol for growing unsaturated cultures. [1] Discover the differences between DNA precipitation and ethanol vs. isopropanol in our article [2] and watch Eppendorf's webinar on centrifugation basics. [3]

Resources:
1. Better Plasmid Purification: 11 Reasons Your Plasmid Yield is Low. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13514/boost-plasmid-yield/
2. DNA Precipitation: Ethanol vs. Isopropanol. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/2839/dna-precipitation-ethanol-vs-isopropanol/
3. Essentials in Centrifugation - Better Safe than Sorry! Available at: https://events.bitesizebio.com/essentials-in-centrifugation-1/