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Undergraduate students generally need laboratory skills and experience to be accepted into a position within an academic lab or a company. However, those settings are traditionally where students would develop that necessary expertise. We developed a laboratory course paradigm to equip students with the skills they need to access future opportunities.
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Estudiantes , Humanos , Universidades , Investigación/educación , Curriculum , LaboratoriosRESUMEN
Since the first reports of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronavirus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, there has been intense interest in understanding how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in the human population. Recent debate has coalesced around two competing ideas: a "laboratory escape" scenario and zoonotic emergence. Here, we critically review the current scientific evidence that may help clarify the origin of SARS-CoV-2.
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SARS-CoV-2/fisiología , Animales , Evolución Biológica , COVID-19/virología , Humanos , Laboratorios , SARS-CoV-2/genética , Zoonosis/virologíaRESUMEN
Twenty-first century biomedical research is advantaged by institutional infrastructures that foster a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. A few critical elements in the design of labs, research buildings, or campus can make interaction easier while preserving privacy and comfort for the individual researcher.
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Investigación Biomédica , Laboratorios , Academias e Institutos , Investigación Biomédica/instrumentación , Historia del Siglo XIX , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Laboratorios/historia , Laboratorios/tendencias , UniversidadesRESUMEN
Molecular Cell has a conversation with Martin Farley about LEAF, the program he developed to run molecular biology laboratories in a sustainable way; the obstacles to making molecular biology sustainable; programs available to scientists; and caution to be exercised when taking steps towards sustainability.
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Laboratorios , Biología Molecular , Masculino , HumanosRESUMEN
Building a diverse laboratory that is equitable is critical for the retention of talent and the growth of trainees professionally and personally. Here, we outline several strategies including enhancing understanding of cultural competency and humility, establishing laboratory values, and developing equitable laboratory structures to create an inclusive laboratory environment to enable trainees to achieve their highest success.
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Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión , LaboratoriosRESUMEN
Prof. Niels Mailand and Ann Schirin Mirsanaye share with Molecular Cell some of their thoughts on making molecular biology more sustainable, outline their first-hand experiences of having their lab LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) certified, and impart some advice to our readers who are considering doing the same.
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Laboratorios , Biología MolecularRESUMEN
Any experiment conducted in a rodent laboratory is done so against the backdrop of each animal's physiological state at the time of the experiment. This physiological state can be the product of multiple factors, both internal (e.g., animal sex, strain, hormone cycles, or circadian rhythms) and external (e.g., housing conditions, social status, and light/dark phases). Each of these factors has the potential to influence experimental outcomes, either independently or via interactions with others, and yet there is little consistency across laboratories in terms of the weight with which they are considered in experimental design. Such discrepancies-both in practice and in reporting-likely contribute to the perception of a reproducibility crisis in the field of behavioral neuroscience. In this review, we discuss how several of these sources of variability can impact outcomes within the realm of common learning and memory paradigms.
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Laboratorios , Roedores , Animales , Conducta Animal/fisiología , Ritmo Circadiano/fisiología , Reproducibilidad de los ResultadosRESUMEN
For new principal investigators, the first years are key to getting a laboratory off the ground and running. COVID-19 has changed the world, bringing on unforeseen difficulties and challenges at every level. We asked these investigators to share their experiences in navigating the unique environment since the start of the pandemic-what has changed in their vision for their laboratory, how they have adapted, and what advice they can share with others in a similar situation.
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COVID-19/epidemiología , Laboratorios , Adaptación Psicológica , Investigación Biomédica/tendencias , COVID-19/psicología , Comunicación , Humanos , Laboratorios/tendencias , Personal de Laboratorio/psicología , Personal de Laboratorio/tendencias , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
We talk to Chisae Nagiri and Wataru Shihoya about their paper, "Cryo-EM structure of the ß3 adrenergic receptor reveals the molecular basis of subtype selectivity," and last author Osamu Nureki tells us about the research in his lab in Tokyo.
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Microscopía por Crioelectrón , Receptores Adrenérgicos beta 3 , Humanos , Laboratorios , Biología Molecular , Receptores Adrenérgicos beta 3/químicaAsunto(s)
COVID-19 , Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles , Participación de la Comunidad , Gobierno , Hospitales Especializados , Comités Consultivos , COVID-19/diagnóstico , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/prevención & control , COVID-19/transmisión , Prueba de COVID-19 , Vacunas contra la COVID-19 , Desarrollo de Medicamentos , Gobierno Federal , Humanos , India/epidemiología , Laboratorios , Política Pública , Asociación entre el Sector Público-Privado , Derivación y Consulta , SARS-CoV-2 , Gobierno EstatalRESUMEN
An abundance of laboratory-based experiments has described a vigilance decrement of reducing accuracy to detect targets with time on task, but there are few real-world studies, none of which have previously controlled the environment to control for bias. We describe accuracy in clinical practice for 360 experts who examined >1 million women's mammograms for signs of cancer, whilst controlling for potential biases. The vigilance decrement pattern was not observed. Instead, test accuracy improved over time, through a reduction in false alarms and an increase in speed, with no significant change in sensitivity. The multiple-decision model explains why experts miss targets in low prevalence settings through a change in decision threshold and search quit threshold and propose it should be adapted to explain these observed patterns of accuracy with time on task. What is typically thought of as standard and robust research findings in controlled laboratory settings may not directly apply to real-world environments and instead large, controlled studies in relevant environments are needed.
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Neoplasias de la Mama , Femenino , Humanos , Neoplasias de la Mama/diagnóstico por imagen , Mamografía , Fatiga , Laboratorios , Proyectos de InvestigaciónRESUMEN
The process of starting a laboratory varies between institutions. However, there are universal tasks all investigators will need to address when launching their laboratories. In this piece, we provide a brief summary of considerations for incoming group leaders to centralize this information for the scientific community.
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Laboratorios , Investigadores , HumanosRESUMEN
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented obstacles for new investigators to traverse. The pandemic's impact exacerbates inequities for groups historically excluded from science. We provide recommendations to support junior faculty, including women and faculty from groups historically excluded from science, in establishing laboratories during the pandemic and foreseeable future.
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COVID-19 , Pandemias , Femenino , Humanos , LaboratoriosRESUMEN
We describe an architecture for organizing, integrating and sharing neurophysiology data within a single laboratory or across a group of collaborators. It comprises a database linking data files to metadata and electronic laboratory notes; a module collecting data from multiple laboratories into one location; a protocol for searching and sharing data and a module for automatic analyses that populates a website. These modules can be used together or individually, by single laboratories or worldwide collaborations.
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Laboratorios , Neurofisiología , Bases de Datos FactualesRESUMEN
Single-molecule Förster-resonance energy transfer (smFRET) experiments allow the study of biomolecular structure and dynamics in vitro and in vivo. We performed an international blind study involving 19 laboratories to assess the uncertainty of FRET experiments for proteins with respect to the measured FRET efficiency histograms, determination of distances, and the detection and quantification of structural dynamics. Using two protein systems with distinct conformational changes and dynamics, we obtained an uncertainty of the FRET efficiency ≤0.06, corresponding to an interdye distance precision of ≤2 Å and accuracy of ≤5 Å. We further discuss the limits for detecting fluctuations in this distance range and how to identify dye perturbations. Our work demonstrates the ability of smFRET experiments to simultaneously measure distances and avoid the averaging of conformational dynamics for realistic protein systems, highlighting its importance in the expanding toolbox of integrative structural biology.
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Transferencia Resonante de Energía de Fluorescencia , Proteínas , Transferencia Resonante de Energía de Fluorescencia/métodos , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Proteínas/química , Conformación Molecular , LaboratoriosRESUMEN
The utility of mouse and rat studies critically depends on their replicability in other laboratories. A widely advocated approach to improving replicability is through the rigorous control of predefined animal or experimental conditions, known as standardization. However, this approach limits the generalizability of the findings to only to the standardized conditions and is a potential cause rather than solution to what has been called a replicability crisis. Alternative strategies include estimating the heterogeneity of effects across laboratories, either through designs that vary testing conditions, or by direct statistical analysis of laboratory variation. We previously evaluated our statistical approach for estimating the interlaboratory replicability of a single laboratory discovery. Those results, however, were from a well-coordinated, multi-lab phenotyping study and did not extend to the more realistic setting in which laboratories are operating independently of each other. Here, we sought to test our statistical approach as a realistic prospective experiment, in mice, using 152 results from 5 independent published studies deposited in the Mouse Phenome Database (MPD). In independent replication experiments at 3 laboratories, we found that 53 of the results were replicable, so the other 99 were considered non-replicable. Of the 99 non-replicable results, 59 were statistically significant (at 0.05) in their original single-lab analysis, putting the probability that a single-lab statistical discovery was made even though it is non-replicable, at 59.6%. We then introduced the dimensionless "Genotype-by-Laboratory" (GxL) factor-the ratio between the standard deviations of the GxL interaction and the standard deviation within groups. Using the GxL factor reduced the number of single-lab statistical discoveries and alongside reduced the probability of a non-replicable result to be discovered in the single lab to 12.1%. Such reduction naturally leads to reduced power to make replicable discoveries, but this reduction was small (from 87% to 66%), indicating the small price paid for the large improvement in replicability. Tools and data needed for the above GxL adjustment are publicly available at the MPD and will become increasingly useful as the range of assays and testing conditions in this resource increases.
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Laboratorios , Proyectos de Investigación , Animales , Ratas , Estudios Prospectivos , Genotipo , Bases de Datos FactualesRESUMEN
Open hardware solutions are increasingly being chosen by researchers as a strategy to improve access to technology for cutting-edge biology research. The use of DIY technology is already widespread, particularly in countries with limited access to science funding, and is catalyzing the development of open-source technologies. Beyond financial accessibility, open hardware can be transformational for the access of laboratories to equipment by reducing dependence on import logistics and enabling direct knowledge transfer. Central drivers to the adoption of appropriate open-source technologies in biology laboratories around the world are open sharing, digital fabrication, local production, the use of standard parts, and detailed documentation. This Essay examines the global spread of open hardware and discusses which kinds of open-source technologies are the most beneficial in scientific environments with economic and infrastructural constraints.
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Laboratorios , TecnologíaRESUMEN
Predicting the composition and diversity of communities is a central goal in ecology. While community assembly is considered hard to predict, laboratory microcosms often follow a simple assembly rule based on the outcome of pairwise competitions. This assembly rule predicts that a species that is excluded by another species in pairwise competition cannot survive in a multispecies community with that species. Despite the empirical success of this bottom-up prediction, its mechanistic origin has remained elusive. In this study, we elucidate how this simple pattern in community assembly can emerge from resource competition. Our geometric analysis of a consumer-resource model shows that trio community assembly is always predictable from pairwise outcomes when one species grows faster than another species on every resource. We also identify all possible trio assembly outcomes under three resources and find that only two outcomes violate the assembly rule. Simulations demonstrate that pairwise competitions accurately predict trio assembly with up to 100 resources and the assembly of larger communities containing up to twelve species. We then further demonstrate accurate quantitative prediction of community composition using the harmonic mean of pairwise fractions. Finally, we show that cross-feeding between species does not decrease assembly rule prediction accuracy. Our findings highlight that simple community assembly can emerge even in ecosystems with complex underlying dynamics.
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Ecología , Microbiota , LaboratoriosRESUMEN
Large-scale language datasets and advances in natural language processing offer opportunities for studying people's cognitions and behaviors. We show how representations derived from language can be combined with laboratory-based word norms to predict implicit attitudes for diverse concepts. Our approach achieves substantially higher correlations than existing methods. We also show that our approach is more predictive of implicit attitudes than are explicit attitudes, and that it captures variance in implicit attitudes that is largely unexplained by explicit attitudes. Overall, our results shed light on how implicit attitudes can be measured by combining standard psychological data with large-scale language data. In doing so, we pave the way for highly accurate computational modeling of what people think and feel about the world around them.