20.109(F15): TA notes for orientation

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20.109(F15): Laboratory Fundamentals of Biological Engineering

20109 F15 TestImage.png

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For lab orientation quiz next time

Solution A = 0.2 M NaH2PO4 . H20 sodium phosphate monobasic monohydrate (27.6 g in 1 L water)
Solution B = 0.2 M Na2HPO4 . 7 H2O sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate (26.8 g in 500 mL water)

Station 1: pipetting

Prepare at TA bench:

  • pipet tips
  • P1000 and P200
  • cuvettes
  • 2x 50 mL of DI water in conical tubes
  • 1x 13 mL XC 0.01% in conical tubes

Each group uses:

  • ~10 mL water
  • ~ mL XC 0.01%
  • 10 non-UV cuvettes

Station 2: making solutions

At the balance:

  • Sorbitol in 50 mL conical tubes, ~ 2/3 full, 9 of them
  • Check weigh boat and stir bar stocks, wash spatulas

All across from Yellow group bench:

  • 6x small beakers (150-250 mL)
  • 2x small graduated cylinders (100 mL)
  • 2x 0.5 L media bottle filled with distilled water, 2 sets only
  • 8x 25 mL pipets, 1 per team plus 2 extra
  • 2x pipet bulbs, 2 only

Station 3: pH meter

Clean pH meter ahead of time (see below).

Calibrate pH meter that day, using freshly poured calibration solutions the first of the two days. Hit "calibrate," go into the first solution until the reading stabilizes, hit "calibrate" again, and after all three solutions have been measured in this way, hit "measure" to save.

Have one test sorbitol solution available inside a 50 mL conical tube (prepared according to station 2).

  • How to clean pH meter
    • push hard (but not too hard!) on electrode cap to release until fluid flows out of the bottom
    • run under warm tap water 15 s
    • soak in 0.1 M EDTA solution for at least 15 min (take from bottle and move to beaker with stir bar)
    • rinse with distilled water
    • add fresh electrode fill solution (not the same as storage solution!)
    • add fresh storage solution (not the same as fill solution!) to the 15 mL conical that holds the electrode

Station 4: spectrophotometer

Specs should be turned on at the beginning of lab. Make sure the DU 730 wavelength scan is set to read between 300 and 900 nm. Prepare one set of reference solutions (prepared according to station 1), including a blank, and leave them on top of the DU 640.

Station 5: gel reading

Wipe down the equipment and the sample card with a damp paper towel to rid dust.

Station 6: TC room

Post cards with famous scientist names on the equipment indicated.

Station 7: lab safety

Be prepared to give hints about where to find the safety shower, fire blanket, and spill kits.

Station 8: graph data in Excel

Be prepared to answer questions about this version of Excel. (Mostly instructor.)

Station 9: lab math

Be prepared to answer questions about this version of basic lab math. (Mostly instructor.)