The Harvard iGEM Team The Harvard iGEM Team Wiki Wiki and and

The Future of Laboratory The Future of Laboratory NotebooksNotebooks

Kevin SheeKevin Shee

07/08/200707/08/2007

The Harvard iGEM Team The Harvard iGEM Team WikiWiki

Created by NickCreated by Nick

A Blast to the Past – Version 1A Blast to the Past – Version 1

The New Face of Harvard’s iGEM The New Face of Harvard’s iGEM Team – LatestTeam – Latest

What has changed?What has changed? The general color scheme and some basic formatting.The general color scheme and some basic formatting. Clean-up of extraneous pagesClean-up of extraneous pages Easily-accessible pages created for items of Easily-accessible pages created for items of

importanceimportance• ProtocolsProtocols• ProjectsProjects• BrainstormingBrainstorming• Media, etc.Media, etc.

A compiled arrangement of notes and ideas from A compiled arrangement of notes and ideas from iGEM team meetings.iGEM team meetings.

Detailed protocols including general and team-Detailed protocols including general and team-based/team-attempted.based/team-attempted.

In General…In General… A more team based-effort/notebook as opposed to A more team based-effort/notebook as opposed to

individual lab notebooks.individual lab notebooks.

WalkthroughWalkthrough

MeetingsMeetings

Presentations Presentations from every iGEM from every iGEM meeting meeting uploaded.uploaded.

Project meeting Project meeting notes of details notes of details not covered in not covered in the presentation the presentation (usually thanks to (usually thanks to Steph)Steph)

Project PagesProject Pages

One for each of the One for each of the projects going on.projects going on.• Includes planned Includes planned

work, brainstorming, work, brainstorming, readings, and a link readings, and a link to project protocols.to project protocols.

In the LabIn the LabGeneral ProtocolsGeneral Protocols

Protocols provided by Protocols provided by kits and machines kits and machines used, such as the used, such as the Nanodrop and Midi Nanodrop and Midi and Maxi Prep kits. and Maxi Prep kits. Also contains other Also contains other basic protocols such as basic protocols such as transformation, transformation, nucleotide removal, nucleotide removal, etc.etc.

Useful for students Useful for students who need to use a who need to use a certain piece of certain piece of equipment or need a equipment or need a general guideline to general guideline to perform a specific step.perform a specific step.

In the LabIn the LabOur ProtocolsOur Protocols

The main pages for step-The main pages for step-by-step walkthroughs of by-step walkthroughs of protocols followed by protocols followed by team members, along with team members, along with important conclusions and important conclusions and thoughts.thoughts.

Constantly updated so Constantly updated so teammates can keep teammates can keep continual track of what’s continual track of what’s going on.going on.

A way for students to A way for students to learn without making the learn without making the same mistakes that other same mistakes that other team members have made.team members have made.

Contains many links to Contains many links to other pages in order to other pages in order to access pertinent access pertinent information.information.

Lab NotebooksLab NotebooksGels, Plasmids, Gels, Plasmids, Sequences, etc.Sequences, etc.

Important data Important data resulting from resulting from certain procedures, certain procedures, both useful and not, both useful and not, all labeled all labeled accurately.accurately.

Media CenterMedia CenterPictures and VideoPictures and Video

Recording memories of Recording memories of the team in times of the team in times of work and times of fun.work and times of fun.

Ideally, we are looking Ideally, we are looking to create some sort of to create some sort of documentary video that documentary video that we can release to teach we can release to teach other teams about the other teams about the experience and further experience and further gain support.gain support.

And finally…And finally…Some things you never knew you could do on Some things you never knew you could do on

the Wiki.the Wiki.

Well…maybe that was a bit much…Well…maybe that was a bit much…

Anyways, moving on…Anyways, moving on…

Technology’s Role in the Technology’s Role in the Future of Laboratory Practice.Future of Laboratory Practice.

Have you ever thought about how Have you ever thought about how much expanding technology will much expanding technology will

advance the way we operate in lab?advance the way we operate in lab?

Sure, we know that more advanced Sure, we know that more advanced technology will speed up processes technology will speed up processes

and make them more user-and make them more user-friendly, but what other potential friendly, but what other potential

for change exists?for change exists?

According to a study regarding According to a study regarding technology in medical training, technology in medical training,

respondents unanimously expressed respondents unanimously expressed that technology skills were that technology skills were

important in medical training and important in medical training and felt it most important to learn about felt it most important to learn about

electronic medical records and electronic medical records and accessing scientific information on accessing scientific information on

the Internet. the Internet.

(Briscoe GW et al)(Briscoe GW et al)

Open and Closed ScienceOpen and Closed Science(Jean-Claude Bradley)

TraditionalLab Notebook(unpublished)

TraditionalJournal Article

Open Access Journal Article

Open Notebook Science (full transparency)

CLOSED

OPEN

Where is Science headed?Where is Science headed? (Jean-Claude Bradley)

WE ARE HEREWE ARE HERE

Things to Look IntoThings to Look Into Keeping an online lab notebook – allows for sharing of Keeping an online lab notebook – allows for sharing of

ideas and a simple transfer/management process.ideas and a simple transfer/management process. Open-source projects such as the Harvard 2007 team Open-source projects such as the Harvard 2007 team

Wiki or blogs in order to better collaborate a team Wiki or blogs in order to better collaborate a team research effort.research effort.

Making lab benches directly computer accessible, with Making lab benches directly computer accessible, with PDAs or something similar used as an interface to pull PDAs or something similar used as an interface to pull resources and protocols from the web, and allowing for resources and protocols from the web, and allowing for direct transfer from the lab bench to a wiki, blog, or direct transfer from the lab bench to a wiki, blog, or database.database.

Allow students to access/borrow the protocols and Allow students to access/borrow the protocols and works of other teams who have worked on similar works of other teams who have worked on similar projects, a database that allows for communication projects, a database that allows for communication between researchers with common goals.between researchers with common goals.

Create a common database for researchers around the Create a common database for researchers around the world to submit information and forgo the often hazy world to submit information and forgo the often hazy process of submitting papers and waiting for process of submitting papers and waiting for publicationpublication

Etc.Etc.

Planning…Planning…

Alain, Mike, and I have been Alain, Mike, and I have been brainstorming ideas for a potential brainstorming ideas for a potential paper involving this idea of paper involving this idea of technological innovation in laboratories.technological innovation in laboratories.

Potentially hope to write a paper to Potentially hope to write a paper to submit to a new journal called Nature submit to a new journal called Nature Precedings, a place to share unpublished Precedings, a place to share unpublished manuscripts, presentations, posters, manuscripts, presentations, posters, white papers, technical papers, white papers, technical papers, supplementary findings, and other supplementary findings, and other scientific documents. scientific documents.

From there we’ll see how far it goes.From there we’ll see how far it goes.

ThanksThanks