We first discussed the impact of social media on the sciences in April, 2011. Then, 100 percent of lab managers admitted to never having used flickr and over 80 percent hadn’t opened a Facebook account. Revisiting the topic in September 2012, we said that getting a grip on social media remained a challenge. “Untamed and unpredictable, it rolls like a cyber tsunami, sweeping and reordering the communication landscape.” This month we return to the topic again and, wow, what a difference 15 months can make.

According to author Key Kidder, the days of wariness are long past, and the scientific community’s acceptance of social media can best be attributed to “restive stakeholders, a tight money climate, and a tired public image.” But, despite the genie being thoroughly out of the bottle, lab professionals are advised to proceed carefully. “Every lab should have an explicit, formal social media policy,” says research communication consultant Dennis Meredith, adding, “My fear is that PIs and senior lab members who haven’t grown up with social media like their younger colleagues are unaware of all the risks.”

Each month our Perspective On articles look at how research-specific labs run their businesses. This issue we explore three different types of labs. In Perspective On: A Food and Beverage Lab we meet Eric Collop, lab manager at Lifeline Foods, whose lab tests roughly 2,000 samples each month for moisture, fats, and granulation. Collop and his staff work 12-hour rotating shifts to provide 24/7 coverage to the facility. Turn to page 62 for more.

In Ask the Expert (page 44), Philip Schwartz, PhD, explains what’s needed to manage a stem cell lab. When asked about automating his processes, Schwartz said that, while his own lab was not currently automated, “there is a big initiative in California to provide 3,000 stem cell lines over three years. This is a tall order and is going to require robotics and automation.”

Similarly, in this month’s INSIGHTS on Streamlining a Microbiology Lab (page 78), author Angelo De- Palma also discusses the role of automation in such labs, saying, “Many companies view automation simply through the lens of throughput. Few would argue that processing an additional two or three plates per day justifies the purchase of expensive robotic systems, while almost everyone agrees that automation can save time and money for labs that process 200 plates per day.”

Relevant to all three of these labs is the application of Lean design, discussed in this month’s Lab Design & Furnishings article on page 30. “Careful adaptation of [Lean design] techniques based on a thorough understanding of laboratory processes will deliver significant benefits in terms of productivity or speed or both,” say the authors.

No matter what kind of lab you run or work in, much can be gained from the shared experiences of others in your field.

And speaking of fields, wouldn’t it be nice if all professional interactions were conducted on a fair and level playing field in which the most capable players win? Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works. Enter: politics. Unpleasant as that reality might be, it is best to acknowledge the power of institutional politics and figure out how to make it work to your advantage. Turn to this month’s Leadership & Staffing article, “Political Science,” (page 24) to learn how.

Here’s wishing you a safe, joyful, and healthy holiday season.