Would You Like E. coli in Your Coffee, Ma'am?

A few notes on what NOT to do in a research laboratory:

First off, I should give a little background. One of the several lab spaces that a colleague and I have been charged with overseeing and using for our research has traditionally been a sort of community lab. There seem to be a couple of faculty members who utilize the lab for actual research, and students come and go, sometimes appearing to do lab work and sometimes just using a computer that lives on a desk in the corner of the lab. But there is at least one faculty member that seems to view the lab as an oversized break room for their personal use. So based on my observations of this faculty member, I have compiled a list of grievances that will serve as a lesson on improper laboratory behavior.

1) Do not brew coffee on the lab bench. I happen to know that there is research being conducted in that lab on contaminated dirt samples. goat blood, and insecticides. Leaving a coffee pot on the lab bench gives ample opportunity for nasty critters to make their way into the carafe, giving you an extra lump or two of who-knows-what in the coffee that you brew in it.

2) Do not keep a plastic tub stocked with snacks on the lab bench. The reasoning is essentially the same as (1). I have to admit that the plastic tub is an attempt at keeping chemicals, bacteria, and whatever else out of your snack stockpile, but a vain attempt in the end.

3) Do not lock the door to a lab that a number of other researchers use, with a sign on the door reading 'student taking exam, do not enter.' This is not an appropriate use of the laboratory. It's not a classroom. And considering most researchers are very busy and have precious little time to accomplish their daily tasks in the lab, your sign is most certainly going to be ignored.

And that's all I've got so far. I may update this list based on issues I observe in the future, but for now, I think it gives a fairly clear picture of what not to do in a research lab.