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.

Nurturing good relationships in business is a lot like doing the same in our personal lives. And just like in our personal lives, a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to any type of relationship usually won’t work. However, it can be wise to take at least a page or two from the book of successful relationship strategies when you’re considering how to best manage a business relationship.