Skip to main content
Biology LibreTexts

3: Tips for Organizing the Lab for Large Classes

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
  • Page ID
    79492

    • Nathan Reyna, Ruth Plymale, & Kristen Johnson
    • Ouachita Babtist University & University of New Hampshire
    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Preparing for a Class

    Example of a Lab Room

    Pre-established Freezer Boxes:

    It can be helpful to have some already stocked freezer boxes ready for your students before they get into the lab. This can work both for individual students as well as teams. These freezer boxes can be marked via color and assigned to students when the lab has started. The boxes can be pre-stocked with the various reagents your students will need so they will be able to have ready access to them.

    This CryoSafe Cooler Box (Cat# 03-410-497) should consist of the following reagents:

    • Restriction enzymes (EcoRI, SpeI, XbaI, PstI)
    • 10x NEBuffer 2.1
    • 10x DNA Ligation Buffer
    • T4 DNA Ligase

    It is helpful to have another color coded cardboard freezer box that is empty alongside the reagent box. This way your students will ideally have no problem storing their parts as they move through the protocol as well as ensuring fewer mixups between the various student parts as they are stored.

    Pre-established Student/Team Work Stations:

    Much like the freezer boxes, pre-stocked work stations allow for you to be able to provide your students with access to tools/materials such as micropipettes and microcentrifuge tubes. It is helpful to color coordinate a student/team work station with a freezer box.

    This work station should consist of:

    • A set of micropipettes (ranging from 1-10 uL to 100-1000 uL) per student
    • At least one tube rack
    • A container of microcentrifuge tubes
    • A Zymo Mini-Prep kit (this can be the kit itself or pre-aliquoted amounts of the reagents)
    • Sharpie
    • Pipet tips (a box per type of micropipette)
    • Any other room temperature reagents you would want easily accessible

    This page titled 3: Tips for Organizing the Lab for Large Classes is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Nathan Reyna, Ruth Plymale, & Kristen Johnson.