Life Science Tools of the Trade

I usually send out plasmid requests as spots on Whatman paper. I draw a circle, pipet several microliters of concentrated DNA into the circle, wrap the DNA in clingwrap and send it off. Lately, I’ve received several “YOU didn’t put any DNA on the paper”. Of course, I didn’t….or perhaps you can’t transform bacteria.

So……

Cut out the circle. Place it in 1.5ml tube, Add enough water so the paper is saturated. Take a microliter of the DNA juice and transform competent cells.

I’d be a little more understanding if the same DNA prep DID NOT transform when I check it before resending it.

I’m sorry, please try again!

Some simple rules to follow when requesting published reagents:

Cite the manuscript in which the reagent was published. The person who did the work may be long gone.

If you don’t want to supply a FedEx number be patient. It often takes weeks for international mail. Don’t complain that it didn’t arrive in one week and expect it to be happily sent again.

Read the manuscript in which the reagent was published.

Don’t hallucinate “helpful reagents”.

Think about your request. Did you request control reagents you might need? “I’m sorry to bother you again but I also need…………”

I’m not making this up. I was looking at the new iBioRad catalog and noticed that iBioRad has registered trademarks on iCycler, iCyclerIQ, iQ (how can you trademark iQ?) iQ5, iProof, iScript, iScript Select, iTaq and MyiQ.

Hole iShit (not trademarked-feel free to use it)! What’s next? iToilet Paper?

I wish SAB would do a survey asking if I would be more or less likely to buy a product called iWhatever. BioRad might not want to know the answer to that one.

I just came back from a vendor show. If I was in marketing (with a MBA!) for an iBiotech company I would name everything iSomething. iTaq, iCrack, iWater, iCycler, iT would be great! You can fool some of the people some of the time but i can ifool all of the ipeople all of the itime!

Blah. iBuyohRad beat me to iT!