Joan, You are not being overly vigilant. In fact, anyone not teaching the appropriate use of negative and compensation controls ought not to be teaching. While I have done thousands of samples by using a standard set of stains, I always include the negatives as a means of appropriately setting up the machine. If your client feels a need to discuss this further, I am sure there are many on this list who would be willing to set him straight. Randy T. Fischer NIH/NIAMS Autoimmunity Branch Building 10, Rm 6D57 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892 (301) 594-3537 fischer1@mail.nih.gov > ---------- > From: joan Kalnitsky > Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2001 12:37 PM > To: Cytometry Mailing List > Subject: Input on class experience > > > I have a client who is teaching an undergraduate immunology class > this > fall. He approached me about including Flow Cytometry. I was thrilled to > help and introduce a new batch of potential scientists to Flow Cytometry. > Week number one the class came to the lab to get an overview of Flow > Cytometry. This week they were doing an experiment which involved single > and double staining of spleen and thymocytes. When the samples arrived I > was pretty surprised. My client, their instructor, had not done any > negative controls of any kind. No Igg controls, no unstained cells, > nothing. When I approached him about it he did not seem to think it was a > problem, after all he has done this staining for years. > I am curious what this listserve has to think about this. Am I > being over > vigil about the need to include negative controls in the education > process. > As far as I am concerned, there is no way to validate this experiment to > the students. Flow cytometery is what I spend my working day on and it > irks me to no end to see it presented incorrectly. Am I correct to > consider this presentation of Flow incorrect? Am I getting caught up on > philosophical issues and missing the point here? > The lab is coming back again next week to learn about apoptosis. I > don't > want to open a can of worms if it isn't warranted. > Thanks in advance for all feedback. > Joan K > > > > Flow Cytometry Lab Supervisor > VMRCVM > (540) 231-4115 > FAX 540-231-7367 > jkalnits@vt.edu > > "It is better to serve than to receive." > B. Borg > >
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