Individual Research Project Blog Assignment 2

Discussion

The first gel which was run in the experiment produced many faint bands which made it hard to read or compare. It was therefore predicted that, two factors may have contributed to the faintness of the bands. First, the muscle samples used were too big. This may have released too much protein which later affected the expression of the bands. Also, the wells may have been poorly loaded. If this happens, there is a high chance of producing bad bands. To solve this problem, a second gel electrophoresis was performed by correcting the above errors. The right amounts of samples were used and the wells were loaded without spills or piercing the gel. The result was perfect darker bands.

Another, talking point of the experiment was when one of the lab partners cut her finger with the razor blade trying to get a beef sample. Accidents and other unpredictable incidents are usually unexpected. Nevertheless, whiles in the laboratory where there are chemicals, fluids, devices and other substances that can be harmful, one must always use caution and proper protection like lab coats, proper footwear, goggles and gloves. Cuts like this can be prevented by wearing gloves made of tough material which can protect against needles, pins, knives and razor blades.