Stupid-Proofing Experiments 

Molecular biology: We do amazing things, but it looks as boring as possible.

Laughed out loud when you said moving clear liquid to another clear liquid. That is how I mostly describe my work to people!

1. Don't talk to me when I'm pipetting. I can answer your question, or remember which well I was on, not both. 2. Throw everything away as it becomes trash. Clutter leads to mistakes. A clean, unlabeled tube is hard to distinguish from a used empty tube. 3. Anchor light things down. Many a microtiter plate has been flipped over because it wasn't in a rack. Many a microcentrifuge tube has gone flying because of same.

When I still worked as a car mechanic a few years ago I often used a piece of cardboard to draw the basic shape of the part I was about to remove on and I put the removed screws into the cardboard at the location where they belong. That way it was foolproof to know where wich screw belonged and I never had it happen that I tried to put the wrong length at a place where it didn´t belong.

I do the same thing. Check lists, sign off sheets, and documentation are the best tools I have. If its not documented, it didn't get done. Because when working on aircraft, the worst feeling in the world is that "aww shit, I can't remember if I did that" moment, after the plane is already in the air. It a feeling which hurts worse than heartbreak.

My goto mistakes in my chemistry lab: - Forgetting to weigh a flask for a reaction - Weighing a flask, writing it only on the flask, then washing it accidentially of with a random solvent... -.-

I bake a lot, and I keep my counters clear of things I don't need. When I begin a recipe, I put out on the counter all the things and ingredients I need. Once I am done using something, it gets put away so I don't second guess myself on did I or did I not use some.thing. I found this helpful and speeds things along for too.

Another stupid-proof thing I do is to make all the labels I'm going to need BEFORE I start preparing my medications (I'm a nurse and I prepare A LOT of infusions daily), so when I finish something completely, only then I label it, that being the end of the process. Other things that help me are: focussing on one thing at a time (even though I get anxious because I know I could be doing more than one thing at the same time, but is for the patient's safety), moving from left to right and up (left: unprepared, right: preparing, up: finished), having all the tool I'm going to need at hand reach, having a clock nearby. Such a useful video!!! Cheers dear!

Hey Alex! Great video as always. A couple idiot proofing steps I have taken: when loading a gel I use a micro tube rack and cover it in parafilm and push indentations into the wells. I then aliquot my loading dye, using a single pipette tip, into as many indentations as I need. I then aliquot my nucleic acids, etc and load my gels. Also, when working with 96 well plates, I fill up my tip boxes to have a full compliment of 96 tips so they correspond to the exact well I am loading at any given time. If a colleague comes by and distracts me, I know exactly where I left off and can continue with confidence. If I am using multiple reagents in said wells, I will have multiple tip boxes even if all I'm using is a single P200 etc.; one box is dedicated to each reagent/analyte. If I have a partial tip box I will fill it manually just to avoid null or double aliquots. Go forth and do science!

I like to write a mini procedure on my hood glass so I don't have to look away to check little details, like volume or times. But 96 well microplates are my nightmare, all I can do is repeat what well I've just finished over and over again and say to myself when I move on, like, 'F8, F8, ok now F9, F9, F9...'

I like to put checkmarks by each line item in my protocols. That makes it super-satisfying to check off each step, keeps me from overwriting the actual protocol, and still makes it really easy to see what I have and haven't done. Checklists are the best.

That little sigh at the end speaks more than any amount of words.

I always have to remind myself that you can never be too rigorous in science, otherwise, I tend to take shortcuts, then mistakes happens... I think that automation, when possible, will replace most simple tasks in the lab as time goes by. It should help reduce the number of mistakes and allow us to concentrate more on the thinking part of research.

'The Checklist Manifesto' by Atul Gawande is a very good book on efficiently mistake-proofing surgery which I wish I'd read before starting Chem labs

In software development when I have to write a new routine, I actually start by writing a test-routine that is able to feed new routine with data, both good and bad, to see how the new routine handles it. When I start writing the actual routine, I can run the checks every so often to see if it can still find errors. The routine is finished when the tests nolonger report errors. This is a great help because writing the tests forces you to think about all the ways in which the routine could fail, and when you write the routine, you immediately start to add code to guard against all the nastyness that you just thought up. Lateron, as the code evolves, the same test routines can be used to check if the routine is still doing what it's supposed to do, and therefor: whether it is safe to release the new software into the world.

in my job as a Deveoper/Operations chap I have to handle deleting files and folders; deleting things on a computer is part of an operational task which requires you to 'PAY ATTENTION' to the path you are in and what you are deleting. As a result I have a policy to prefer to 'move' rather than 'delete' As I have said to many another developer, no one ever regretted taking a backup' to that end a very simple process I have before deleting anything is; I make myself look for and confirm that a file is backed up and in a safe location before I type a command to delete something.

Solid process control, and entertaining delivery. Well done.

I work in retail, but even there, some of this applies. That bit about questions distracting you sounds a lot like stocktaking, especially when I'm counting multiple piles of the same item and colleagues or customers come asking me questions (Being the work knowledge bank sometimes can be a handicap ). My workings look crazy, but I get accurate results :)

So the work I do is not always the same from one item to the next, it is more of an art then anything else (lots of research and information collecting tough). One of the ways we idiot proof the job is creating example text items that are ridiculous and funny but communicate the points you need to satisfy in the briefing/presentation and the questions you have to address. We make it the template and color the text red, it acts as a bit of a humorous road-map that you can check and stands out. Other off shoots of my job like creating stupid long checklists that no one reads (Again: More art then script). So we have a thing called "Not a check list" its a list of resources with links, emails, phone numbers, and examples you can leverage. It is short and to the point. Naturally we have high grade examples that can be referenced. The quality check (QC) process is done collaboratively and not critically, changes are made with the developer talking with the QC and no one is "on trial".

I need to stupid proof my woodworking projects. Without fail I will have multiple pieces with slightly different dimensions that need to be labeled both for part and orientation. It's easy to look at interesting grain, make decisions, do something else, and then lose the orientation and decisions you have made. Thanks for posting. -Todd

Thank you very much for posting this video Alex. It is very good and brave of you to admit your mistakes so that others may learn from them. This is a great example of how you are an example to us all! :-) I definitely have to follow procedures and checklists too. Having once been trained as a pilot to "never trust yourself - always follow the check list and physically check that things are set to how they should be set - never just look" it is often frustrating to have colleagues (in IT) that think that "Professional" means not having to follow procedures, when in fact that is extremely unprofessional. So, another very good video. Thank you!

In computing, granted not enough people do this, but I'm a fan of scripting your experiments so that all you have to do to run them is hit the big red GO button. Granted, you could still have errors in your scripts, but I'd compare that to an error in your protocol - it's possible, but you can review it in advance to double check that it's right before you start. The other nice thing, though, is that it *fully* documents your entire experiment, so there's never any question about whether the procedure was done properly. A computer always does exactly what the script says to do, and if there's a question about whether the script was written correctly, you have the code to back and look at. Plus it helps with reproducibility because if someone else wants to try your experiment, you can give them your scripts so that they know they're using the exact same procedures that you did.

Ceramics: When I go to shake my pint jars of Glaze/underglaze/whatever in order to maintain the suspension of the stuff before I go to use it, I've added a lid check in case stupid me simply placed the lid on the jar instead of screwed it on.

I do hand embroidery and I have found printing or copying the pattern I am using then highlight the stitches I do help me stay on track. Too many times I have not had rows connecting. the highlighter is your friend!

I've been in the IT field for over 15 yrs now and I still make lists and check them off as I go. I know other IT people do it too, because I was just in a training session learning a new something and the trainer gave us his check list that he uses. Its all about change management/process control. whatever you want to call it.

This is very helpful for people who will try a career in science like that. I think this video show how humility you have and that's great to see in a person nowadays. Great work keep goin!

yup, you got the tricks!!! I found it useful to number my experiments consecutively. Then in my notes I would take up each experiment and write the experiment number followed by the noted. This way I could handle multiple experiments and not get lost.

Having both a clear head and a orderly workspace is everything. People tend to screw up most when they are doing familiar things. One of my hobbies is flying. There is an old joke about pilots forgetting to lower the landing gear. There are those who have and those who are going to. So far, I have always remembered to lower the gear. If you can 'stupid proof' life, you will win a Nobel Prize!

Hi Alex, i wanted to thank you for the clarity you have in explaining your problem, i wish all biologists would be as clear as you are!

Moving ingredients works for spices in the kitchen as well.

My first mistake: I haven't marked a tube filled with water and NaCl dissolved, and during another experiment I dropped the solution on the washbasin, thinking it was just water. I wrote it into the experiments report so sad.

Love the videos. Off topic, thank you for showing the last clip with the plastic bag falling down and putting on the purple gloves! It gave me closer to seeing them move back and forth multiple times throughout the video

I learned to do all of the stupid proofing steps that you mentioned; the hard way. I wish this video had come out 2 years back :)

I'm in the field of high school student, and I literally need to write everything down, like my homework and projects and websites and stuff, into my agenda or I'll completely forget. People think I'm crazy bc I'm one of the few people that actually use our school agenda, but hey I get my work done and they don't :P

Good ol prelab writeup, I follow mine like a bible. Good idea with highlighting it instead of crossing it off. I like that, Imma adopt that.

Check lists . It's what has made airlines a safe way to travel, it allows NASA to do the amazing things it has accomplished. Also now surgeons use check lists as well in surgeries. It has improved the quality of the surgery and enhance the safety and recovery of the patients. Yes use the checklists

I am in aviation. I am a mechanic and pilot. Checklists are VERY important to us. They're the things you do to keep yourself and others alive. If you skip a step in a lab, you get some extreme frustration, waste some money and have to start over. If you skip a step flying or maintaining an airplane, peoples lives are put at risk and it's not terribly uncommon for people who don't believe in checklists to kill themselves or others. Of course, that's why there's also testing and licensing to be able to do those things. That way the idiots get weeded out, mostly, before they can kill someone.

"Stupid-proof against... (point)... 'the stupid'". Lol

4 years late but currently writing down these tips. Starting my project next week... of moving clear liquids into a 384 well plate in dozens of combinations and iterations... I'm doomed

Yees! I also make almost everything like this stupid-proof. I make a list, check the list, then cross it and maybe even check crossed things just to be sure and know that everything is in place or in correct order. And when you have to add same liquids to all 100 tubes (for example) but someone would think that this is just too much of a work I'd say that you are training yourself to be exact and to have everything ready. Because training makes perfect, doesn't it? :)

Didn't think this would happen in computational chemistry but boy I have accidentally deleted things a LOT. Also re-doing a calculation that took 5 hours is not fun.

Have you heard of the Japanese phrase 'poka yoke' which translates to 'mistake proofing'? It's commonly used in Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing.

But if I am expert in doing my work,then I don't need any copy and don't need to write on a paper.

keep track of where you are with your tips as another back-up

Wanted to say, this is so relatable to me now. thanks

Thank you for your videos. Could you share more of your thoughts on the value of protocols in your studies/profession? Thank you.

I really like your videos. Until now most things you explained or showed i already knew as im an biology student in uni. But i think this tip will help me in my further sience career. so thanks for that tip and thanks for making such great videos

It's better to measure twice and cut once.. Complacent is something in they teach in the navy. I doesn't matter if you have done the same procedure 100 times. there are always room for human error.

Making science more efficient is good. I'm sure past Alex would like to see this video. Aren't there some machines that can help you do this? We need to take humans out of the loop as much as possible. I'm thinking of the machine in Transcendence. Although it did contain the consciousness of Johnny Depp it did experiments flawlessly.

Mathematics is easier to keep tidy. Alas one of the stupid mistakes I do time and again is to read what I want to be there not what is actually there. Then trying to sort out the resulting mess I wonder how on Earth I could have misread it.

"Make something idiot-proof, and they'll make a better idiot." -unknown Something I do too pass the time when I'm counting slowly is I break each number down to its prime factors. 1 has none, 2 is prime, 3 is prime, 4 is 2², 5 is prime, 6 is 2x3, 7 is prime, 8 is 2³, 9 is 3², 10 is 2x5,... 98 is 7²x2, 99 is 3²x11, 100 is 2²x5²,...

A large flowchart printed on paper posted on our wall so me and my students will not get loat through our experiment.

be careful you don't end up doing more checks than work. That could seriously hurt your workflow

Hi Alex, have you tried using a repeat pipetter or a multichannel pipette? Both can save a lot of time and heart ache. Recently I've been preparing my DNA digestions in 96 well plates, adding the regents using the multichannel and covering the completed wells with card as I continue, and finishing by sealing the plate with adhesive film. It's so much quicker.

Everyone's got their own flow. Stick to it as best you can. Everyone has off days though, it's a Human trait, so don't be so harsh on yourself and do something that helps you clear your head so you don't get stuck in a cycle where you're just making the same mistakes. "Repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results is a definition of insanity" 😛😜

Hello!!I wish I could've though about these stuff earlier!! Thx!!! Keep Up, Science needs us!!

Alex, do you have a multipipetter?!

to-do-lists save lives.

This video is what gives me a general modicum more respect to scientists by default. They are usually intensely aware of how wrong and stupid they can be, which is not a level of self-understanding found in most people. Oh, and if you know med students, please, please pass on these stories about checking your mistakes. There is a very dangerous culture in medicine of distaste for checklists and the like, especially for procedures doctors may have done many times before. A lot of infections in hospitals come from very simple, basic screw-ups like not sterilizing *everything*.

I think it is not stupid it is life saver. Think about qPCR with 384-Well PCR Plate. Oo man it is hard even thinking about it.

Speaking of stupid proofing, you'd be surprised how many undergraduates (I'm a Physics undergraduate) don't understand how important it is to not eat or drink in labs (sometimes they need to be told "yes, you are currently only doing an experiment with a pendulum, but you don't know what else has been done in this lab recently - also.... come on?!"). So I was wondering, how many of the things you actively use in your experiments would actively harm you if you drunk them?

hai Alex Dainis.... :) i fan of u...

do humans normally gesture that much? is my nonverbal faking understating things?

Why not build a tiny robot for pipetting?

Me? I use Trello. Great app for planning and checking off tasks.

I study physics but you are awesome, what a lovely personality! Maybe I'm in the wrong major!!

And this is why my research is in bioinformatics...

But have you had DNA not digest because you didn't mix the enzymes?

Thank you for the tips! From Chile

Here is a stupid proof. 3>2 and 2>1, so by transitivity, 3>1. QED.

❤️

of course the order matters :-)

hi alex

When you a protocol a thousand times, do you start to feel like a protocol droid would be useful? :P

Can you show as some thigs like growing bacteria and fungi at home. love your channel Biology for life

all I can think of is.. clearly a job for a robot. lol

Pick a direction for your flow of work. It's almost religious to me. Left to right, right to left. No matter which way you go...STICK WITH IT.

whts she trying to proof by this ?

😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂