The Musings of Kindly Old Dr Noyes
The Noyes Lab Rules
If it sounds like more work, its probably the right thing to do.
When in doubt, see rule 1.
Always use a master mix...always.
Always run a "no insert" ligation control...always.
Two fold differences are meaningless in biology, except when they aren't.
Attention to detail is the difference between success and struggle.
When you try to do everything, you do nothing.
A little Voodoo never hurts.
What would Bob Sauer do?
The Zif268 rule: The best-case scenario is not always the best control.
Prepare for failure, enjoy success.
A healthy dose of paranoia is a scientist's best friend.
Great results start with great reagents.
Dream big.
Repeat.
Make the night work for you
In biology there is almost always something that can be done at night. Starting a culture, plating some bacteria or yeast, setting up a PCR reaction that runs and holds over night, are just some examples. Making sure the night is working for you is like giving yourself a vacation.
Musings of David Botstein
I remember David saying once at Princeton, "I wish my people would stop working, go home and take a bath or a walk and just think about their work. I think they would improve their research more with that approach than trying to work 24 hours a day."
After a couple cocktails...
The success of a teacher should always be measure by the accomplishments of their students.