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If you ask someone why their body needs vitamin D, you will most likely hear “for healthy bones” or “to prevent osteoporosis.” Avid vitamin and supplement users may even inform you that increasing your intake of vitamin D reduces the risk of cancer and other diseases and prevents infection. And many scientists have supported those claims. However, new research casting…

It’s Thursday morning, and the director of R&D has a rush set of samples that need to be analyzed now (it’s always a rush). Do you have the materials on hand to do the work? Who’s your go-to supplier for fast delivery if something is in short supply? Is the equipment that will be used in good working condition and…

On Friday, February 3, 2023, at approximately 9:00 p.m., a Norfolk Southern Railway train carrying cargo from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio. A total of 38 cars derailed, and the fire that ensued damaged 12 others. This is normally the part of the story where the author would mention injuries and…

A configurable and customizable laboratory information management system (LIMS) solution fixes labs’ frustrations with off-the-shelf software. Modifying your lab to better conform to a static application undermines efficiency while working around its limitations lets errors into testing workflows. In LIMS Optimization: Aligning a LIMS to the Way Your Lab Works, we explain how configurability and customization let LabLynx tailor LIMS…

Staffing shortages can be felt in a multitude of industries, and laboratories are not immune. In fact, the number of active laboratory professionals overall has decreased. Laboratory staff are the backbone of scientific research, and their expertise and experience are vital to ensuring accurate and reliable results. However, shortages in laboratory staff can significantly impact the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality…

Download PDF Upon completing my undergraduate degree, I worked in an analytical research and development R&D laboratory. Its role was to conduct the routine testing of polymers, devise methods of analysis, provide support to production-based quality control labs, support pilot plant R&D, and carry out special projects. Those special projects could range from analyzing competitive materials to analyzing unusual samples…

Before the 1970s, hard rock mine operators could dig for profitable hard rock minerals like gold or copper before abandoning the mining location and moving onward to find other prospective lands. About 140,000 relics of these hard rock mines, including unprotected tunnels and toxic waste dumps, have been found in areas under the control of federal agencies. Remedies to address…

One question that might have crossed your mind as a consumer as you reach in the fridge towards that questionable half gallon of milk to accompany your freshly poured cereal bowl is, “do these dates really matter?” The same can be said for over-the-counter medications, pharmaceuticals, and numerous other consumer items. One common misinterpretation is determining if expiration dates refer…

Forensic science is the basis of criminal investigations, helping to solve crimes, find missing persons, and locate dangerous perpetrators. The forensic science discipline is constantly expanding and changing as this science pushes the boundaries of what is achievable in the lab and increases with technological innovation. In forensics, technology has advanced in significant ways, and these advancements can be furthered…

During most back-to-school sales you can pick up a basic college-ruled composition notebook for $1.00, or maybe even $0.50 if you shop around. Those 8” x 10” paperboard-covered, 100-page pads of paper are great for third-grade math homework and work exceptionally well as a teenage girl’s diary. But paper notebooks should have no place in a modern laboratory environment. Yet…