All employees are accountable for something, but very few fully understand exactly what they are accountable for, according to a new study conducted by Wayne Hochwarter, the Jim Moran Professor of Business Administration in Florida State University’s College of Business, and research associate Allison Batterton.

Abusive bosses who target employees with ridicule, public criticism, and the silent treatment not only have a detrimental effect on the employees they bully, but they negatively impact the work environment for the co-workers of those employees who suffer from “second-hand” or vicarious abusive supervision, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.

There are many different signs that it’s time to upgrade your fume hood, but vendors say safety is the number one reason.

Sample preparation (“prep”) is a tedious, time-consuming task but a necessary part of nearly every analytical workflow, regardless of industry or laboratory type.

Arguing against lab automation is becoming more difficult, particularly for sample prep. With reagents and solvents costing what they do, a business case based on direct cost savings for critical materials stands on its own.

Despite protestations to the contrary, automation is not something to undertake casually. Due to the dizzying array of possibilities and workflows, the technology has not yet achieved the simplicity of consumer products.

A comprehensive review of sample preparation would require a multivolume work. Beyond that, covering the possible number of workflows given the hundreds of potential “unit operations” would fill an encyclopedia, especially when solids (rock, soil, animal tissue) are considered.

A Question and Answer with Select Automated Sample Prep Experts

Problem: Forensic labs in the US are faced with backlogs of samples waiting to be processed.

Cross-contamination of human cell lines with other cell lines and/or misidentification of cell cultures is reported to be 18-36 percent. Find out one way to prevent contamination in your lab.

Pipetting is a fundamental activity for a laboratory scientist. Almost every experiment requires small and precise volumes of liquid to be transferred from one container to another.

Perhaps you’ve made your usual New Year’s resolutions: Get to the gym more often, be a better friend, eat more fruits and vegetables, for which I commend you. However, if you’re looking to make resolutions that will have a direct impact on your job performance and career development, you’ve come to the right place.