Re: Sorry-one more question...and a rant

welcome to core-life....  

TomD

janet dow wrote:

> Dear Flowers.
>
> Thank you to all who replied about my question about quantitating GFP 
> .  Most replies suggested a bead kit mainly from BD.	Here is the info 
> if you are interested.  I will buy the kit and try it.
>
> You might try the EGFP calibration beads available from BD Clontech . . .
> cat# 632394.
>
>
> I now have another question and a little rant to all who I know will 
> appreciate it.    I have had several clients bring me samples which 
> they claim to have examined under fluorescence scope and can see their 
> labeled cells shining brightly.  We then run the sample through the 
> machine and can see little or no signal.
>
> Can someone give me a terribly scientific explanation for this that I 
> can rattle off to these people who want to blame me when their 
> experiment doesn't work???
>
> Okay here is the rant:
>
>
> Also is anyone else tired of being blamed when experiments don't 
> work?!?  I get really tired of having to try to help trouble shoot 
> experiments for people only to find out 20 minutes into the discussion 
> that this experiment has never been tried before or they are using an 
> antibody developed for a different species or they are using a 
> transvection vector developed for bacteria on yeast cells. They just 
> can't understand why it didn't work and it must be something that I am 
> doing.   But my favorite is when PIs send graduate students or post 
> docs to do all the work, and then contact me later because the 
> experiments haven't  worked and are mad because they are being charged 
> for it.    Of course, it is all my fault the experiments didn't work 
> and how can I have the nerve to charge them for it!!!
>
>
> Okay that is enough and I know I am preaching to the choir, so thanks 
> for listening.    The truth is I am really luck and my boss totally 
> backs me up and defends me relentlessly to these people.  The really 
> fun part is my coworkers in my other lab always know when I have just 
> dealt with one of these people as I will immediately go downstairs and 
> get chocolate from the special super candy bar fund in our basement.
> Thank god for chocolate and peanut butter.
>
> Again thanks for listening and for being the only ones who can truly 
> appreciate.
>
> Thanks again for all the replies
>
> Janet Dow
>
>