Basic Laboratory Skills Course And Certification

What is Basic Laboratory Skills? 

Basic Laboratory Skills is the combination of methods, techniques and procedures required to carry out technological and scientific research, experiments and measurements in the laboratory. 

A Laboratory can be defined as a building, special room or facility that offers precisely regulated conditions in which technological, scientific research, scientific experiments and measurement can be carried out. Laboratory services are implemented in a variety of settings such as in a physician's office, hospitals, clinics and regional or national referral centers.

Laboratories that are used for scientific research take various forms because of the varying conditions of specialists in the various fields and areas of science and engineering. A physics laboratory, for example, might contain a vacuum chamber or a particle accelerator, whereas a metallurgy laboratory might only have equipment for casting or refining metals or for testing the strength of metals. 

A biologist or chemist might use a wet laboratory, while a psychologist's lab might be a room with one-way mirrors and lots of hidden cameras in which they use to observe client's behaviors. In some laboratories, such as those that are usually used by computer scientists, computers (in some cases, supercomputers) are used for either for the purpose of simulation or for data analysis. Scientists in other fields will sill use other types of laboratories. Engineers as well make use of laboratories to design, build, and test various technological devices.

Despite the pre-defined notion of a lab as a confined space mainly for experts, the term "laboratory" is also frequently applied to areas of workshop such as Fab Labs, Living Labs, or Hackerspaces with computers, in which people meet to work together on societal problems or to make prototypes, for collaborations to share resources. This development is majorly inspired by new, and participatory approaches to science and various innovations and it relies on user-centered design methods and concepts such as Open innovation or User innovation.

Scientific Laboratories can be used as a room for both research, experiment and learning spaces in various schools and universities, industry, government, or even in military facilities and even on top ships and spacecraft. 

Laboratory Skills and Techniques are the set of procedures and methods that are used on natural sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics to carry out an experiment, most of them follow a predefined scientific method; while some of them require the use of complex laboratory equipment from laboratory glassware to electrical devices, and others require more specific or very expensive supplies.

Features of Basic Laboratory Skills

1. Laboratory Safety

2. Chemical Storage

3. Acid / Base Safety

4. Risk Assessment & COSHH

5. Sample Handling and Storage

6. Housekeeping

7. Assessment

8. Measurement of errors

9. Accuracy and Precision

10. Statistical Measures

11. Volumetric Lab Equipment

12. Containers and Substances

13. Balance Specification

14. Assessment

15. Measuring pH

16. Titrations

17. How to Carry Out a Titration

18. End Point Polarization

19. Calibration, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting of Karl Fischer Autotitrators

20. UV-visible Spectroscopy

21. Choice of Solvent, Effect of Solvent, Concentration, pH, and Temperature on UV-visible Spectroscopy

22. Troubleshooting UV-visible Spectroscopy

23. Proper Handling of Lab Equipments.

Benefits of Basic Laboratory Skills

There are lots of Benefits and Advantages of gaining Basic Laboratory Skills and some of them are:

1. Required Tasks: Understanding the required steps, you would be able to carry out necessary tasks in the laboratory, such as providing right information for patient diagnosis and treatment by performing tests in chemistry, toxicology, hematology, immunology and microbiology laboratories, receiving, typing, testing and recording blood bank inventories. 

2. Risk Assessment: This is the identification of hazards and risk factors that can cause harm (hazard identification). Analyzing and evaluating the associated risk with that hazard (risk analysis and risk evaluation).

3. Accuracy and Precision: Accuracy and Precision is very important skill to achieve accurate and precise reading, such as determining blood count level.

4. Assessment of Lab Procedures: This is the assessment of Laboratory techniques and procedures performed on patient specimens to detect biomarkers and diagnose diseases, such as blood samples, urine, semen or tissue samples can be analysed using biochemical, microbiological and cytological procedures. 

5. Laboratory Safety: This refers to the prevention of laboratory accidents through great care and vigilance. 

Why Study Basic Laboratory Skills

1. First to Detect Clues: Medical laboratory science provides clues that are key in the diagnosis and treatment of disease or injury, and laboratory professionals are the detectives of the healthcare world. They provide clues that are key in the diagnosis and treatment of disease or injury and assist in the maintenance of healthy lifestyles. Clues to solving the mysteries of diseases are found in our own bodies. Laboratory tests monitor the composition of our blood, urine, and other body fluids and tissues for early warning signs of disease. 

2. Perform Tests: This is carrying out test that are crucial to our health and well-being. Lab professionals play a critical role in collecting the information needed to give the best care to an ill or injured patient. They find great satisfaction in their work, knowing that they are helping others and are saving lives.

3. Diagnose Patient’s History: Lab professionals and scientists measures blood cholesterol and blood sugar, tests for anemia, checks the urine for protein, identifies strep throat bacteria, prepares blood for transfusion, and even determines if a hit and run driver was under the influence of alcohol or not.

4. Versatile Skills: Medical laboratory professionals work in many settings: hospitals, doctor's offices, clinics, research facilities, public health centers, the Armed Forces, veterinary offices, colleges, business, and industry. Academic achievements and technical ability set the level for responsibility one reaches in medical laboratory science.

5. Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: Enhance your problem solving skills and also gain exposure to reactions, materials, and equipment in a lab setting.

6. Job Opportunities and Career Advancement: An increasing number of companies are bringing up the need for Lab specialists and professionals. If you are in the look for career opportunities that are available in this field, they are large.