iBiology: A Guide for Scientists Working at the Bench
About This Course
Before you step into the lab to do an experiment, you have a long list of questions: How do I design an experiment that will give a clear answer to my question? What model system should I use? What are my controls? What’s an ideal sample size? How can I tell if the experiment worked?
It is overwhelming and easy to feel lost, especially with no guide in sight.
This FREE 6-week course tackles the above questions head-on. Scientists from a variety of backgrounds give concrete steps and advice to help you build a framework for how to design experiments in biological research. We use case studies to make the abstract more tangible. In science, there is often no simple right answer. However, with this course, you can develop a general approach to experimental design and understand what you are getting into before you begin.
We will guide you through the steps of planning a well-designed experiment, so by the end of this course, you will have:
- A detailed plan for your experiment(s) that you can discuss with a mentor.
- A flowchart for how to prioritize experiments.
- Tips and best practices for how to get started with an experiment.
- A lab notebook template that is so impressively organized, it will make your colleagues envious.
- A framework to do rigorous, reproducible research.
For students and practitioners of experimental biology
We designed this course for graduate students participating in experimental biological research. Advanced undergraduate students may also find this course very helpful, as well as postdocs and staff scientists looking for guidance on these topics.