LABORATORY MANUAL FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY AND LABORATORY SCIENCE:THE BASICS

INTRODUCTION
I. SAFETY IN THE LABORATORY
Unit Introduction
SAFETY PART 1: CREATING A SAFE WORKPLACE
Fundamental Principles
Classroom Activity 1: Performing a Risk Assessment
Classroom Activity 2: Exploring the CDC and OSHA Websites
Classroom Activity 3: Responding to Emergencies
SAFETY PART 2: WORKING SAFELY WITH CHEMICALS
Fundamental Principles
Classroom Activity 4: Understanding the Chemicals with which You Work
Classroom Activity 5: Personal Protection
Laboratory Exercise 1: Tracking the Spread of Chemical Contamination
Classroom Activity 6: Analyzing Safety Issues in a Laboratory Procedure
SAFETY PART 3: WORKING SAFELY WITH BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Fundamental Principles
Laboratory Exercise 2: Production of Bioaerosols and Factors Affecting Aerosol Production
Unit Discussion
Safety Contract, student copy
Safety Contract, to turn in
II. DOCUMENTATION IN THE LABORATORY
Unit Introduction
Classroom Activity 7: Be an Auditor
Classroom Activity 8: Writing and Following an SOP
Laboratory Exercise 3: Keeping a Laboratory Notebook
Unit Discussion
III. METROLOGY IN THE LABORATORY
Unit Introduction
Laboratory Exercise 4: Recording Measurements with the Correct Number of Significant Figures
Classroom Activity 9: Constructing a Simple Balance
Laboratory Exercise 5:Weight Measurements 1; Good Weighing Practices
Laboratory Exercise 6: Weight Measurements 2; Performance Verification
Laboratory Exercise 7: Volume Measurements 1; Proper Use of Volume Measuring Devices
Laboratory Exercise 8: Volume Measurements 2; Performance Verification of a Micropipette
Laboratory Exercise 9: Measuring pH with Accuracy and Precision
Unit Discussion
IV. SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
Unit Introduction
Laboratory Exercise 10: Color and the Absorbance of Light
Laboratory Exercise 11: Concentration, Absorbance, and Transmittance
Laboratory Exercise 12: Preparing a Standard Curve with Food Coloring and Using it for Quantitation
Classroom Activity 10:Beer’s Law and Calculating an Absorptivity Constant
Laboratory Exercise 13: Determination of the Absorptivity Constant for ONP
Unit Discussion
V. BIOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS
Unit Introduction
Classroom Activity 11: Getting Ready to Prepare Solutions with One Solute: Calculations Classroom Activity 12: Getting Ready to Prepare Solutions with One Solute: Ordering Chemicals
Laboratory Exercise 14: Preparing Solutions with One Solute
Laboratory Exercise 15: Preparing Solutions to the Correct Concentration
Laboratory Exercise 16: Working with Buffers
Laboratory Exercise 17: Preparing Breaking Buffer
Laboratory Exercise 18: Preparing TE Buffer
Laboratory Exercise 19: More Practice Making a Buffer
Laboratory Exercise 20: Making a Quality Product in a Simulated Company
Unit Discussion
VI. ASSAYS
Unit Introduction
Laboratory Exercise 21: Two Qualitative Assays
Laboratory Exercise 22:UV Spectrophotometry of DNA; Quantitative Applications
Laboratory Exercise 23:UV Spectrophotometry of DNA, RNA, and Proteins; Qualitative Applications
Laboratory Exercise 24: Using Spectrophotometry for Quality Control; Niacin
Laboratory Exercise 25: A Quantitative Protein Assay; Learning the Assay
Laboratory Exercise 26: Exploring Assay Verification
Laboratory Exercise 27: The Beta-Galactosidase Enzyme Assay
Laboratory Exercise 28: Comparing the Specific Activity of Two Preparations of Beta-Galactosidase
Unit Discussion
VII. SEPARATION METHODS
Unit Introduction
Classroom Activity 13: Separating Materials Using a Centrifuge, Planning
Laboratory Exercise 29: Separation of Two Substances Based on Their Differential Affinities for Two Phases
Laboratory Exercise 30: Separation of Dyes Using Paper Chromatography
Laboratory Exercise 31: Separating Molecules by Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
Laboratory Exercise 32: Using Agarose Gel Electrophoresis to Perform an Assay
Laboratory Exercise 33: Optimizing Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
Laboratory Exercise 34: Quantification of DNA by Agarose Gel Electrophoresis
Unit Discussion
VIII. GROWING CELLS
Unit Introduction
WORKING WITH BACTERIAL CELLS
Laboratory Exercise 35: Aseptic Technique on an Open Lab Bench
Laboratory Exercise 36: Working with Bacteria on an Agar Substrate; Isolating Individual Colonies
Laboratory Exercise 37: Using a Compound Light Microscope
Laboratory Exercise 38: Gram Staining
Laboratory Exercise 39: Making Phosphate Buffered Saline
Laboratory Exercise 40: The Aerobic Spread Plate Method of Enumerating Colony Forming Units
Laboratory Exercise 41: Generation of an E. coli Growth Curve
WORKING WITH MAMMALIAN CELLS
Laboratory Exercise 42: Aseptic Technique in a Laminar Flow Hood
Laboratory Exercise 43: Making Ham’s F12 Medium from Dehydrated Powder
Laboratory Exercise 44: Examining, Photographing, and Feeding CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) Cells
Laboratory Exercise 45: Counting Cells Using a Hemacytometer
Laboratory Exercise 46: Subculturing CHO Cells
Laboratory Exercise 47: Preparing a Growth Curve For CHO Cells
Unit Discussion
APPENDICES
I Materials and Supplies that are Assumed to be Present in Your Laboratory
II Calculating Standard Deviation
II Periodic Table of Elements

Laboratory Manual for Biotechnology provides students with the basic laboratory skills and knowledge to pursue a career in biotechnology. The manual, written by four biotechnology instructors with over 20 years of teaching experience, incorporates instruction, exercises, and laboratory activities that the authors have been using and perfecting for years. These exercises and activities serve to engage students and help them understand the fundamentals of working in a biotechnology laboratory. Building students’ skills through an organized and systematic presentation of materials, procedures, and tasks, the manual will help students explore overarching themes that relate to all biotechnology workplaces.
The fundamentals in this manual are critical to the success of research scientists, scientists who develop ideas into practical products, laboratory analysts who analyze samples in forensic, clinical, quality control, environmental, and other testing laboratories.

Features
- The laboratory manual is thoroughly class-tested with students.
- An emphasis is placed on foundational skills, which prepare a student for the industry.
- Clear instructions and step-by-step exercises make learning the material easier for students.

About the Author(s)

The authors of this manual are faculty in the Biotechnology Laboratory Technician Program at Madison Area Technical College, which prepares students to become laboratory professionals. These authors have years of experience and have spent a great deal of time in the classroom, trying out the exercises and activities which are laid out in the manual. Lisa Seidman is highly respected for her work in biotechnology instruction.