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A mouse in front of an open sack of grain.
Mice Fed a Highly Processed Diet Are More Susceptible to the Flu
It’s not clear why grain-fed mice are better able to recover after infection, but a study’s findings suggest food type may skew the results of animal studies.
Mice Fed a Highly Processed Diet Are More Susceptible to the Flu
Mice Fed a Highly Processed Diet Are More Susceptible to the Flu

It’s not clear why grain-fed mice are better able to recover after infection, but a study’s findings suggest food type may skew the results of animal studies.

It’s not clear why grain-fed mice are better able to recover after infection, but a study’s findings suggest food type may skew the results of animal studies.

reproducibility

Lab dishes containing blue liquid
Study Finds Reproducibility Issues in High-Impact Cancer Papers
Catherine Offord | Dec 7, 2021 | 7 min read
Researchers involved in an eight-year project to reproduce the findings of more than 50 high-impact papers struggled to get enough information to even carry out most of the experiments.
A scanning electron micrograph of a coculture of E. coli and Acinetobacter baylyi. Nanotubes can be seen extending from the E. coli.
What’s the Deal with Bacterial Nanotubes?
Sruthi S. Balakrishnan | Jun 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
Several labs have reported the formation of bacterial nanotubes under different, often contrasting conditions. What are these structures and why are they so hard to reproduce?
MilliporeSigma smart labs video
Science Summarized: Smart Labs Connect Scientists, Instruments, and Data
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and MilliporeSigma | 1 min read
Smart laboratory instruments are intuitively-designed ergonomic tools that support greater connectivity and productivity. 
An illustration of a flask of bacteria, a weighted microscope slide, and two bacteria exchanging materials via nanotubes.
Infographic: Sources of Variation in Bacterial Nanotube Studies
Sruthi S. Balakrishnan | Jun 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Differences in how researchers prepare and image samples can lead to discrepancies in their results.
a blue pen checks off boxes in a list
MDAR Framework Aims to Standardize Reporting in Life Sciences
Shawna Williams | May 7, 2021 | 8 min read
Malcolm Macleod, who helped develop these best practices, tells The Scientist how the new guidelines for manuscript publishing seek to support a push for transparent and thorough sharing of methods and data.
The BRAND Liquid Handling Station
Relieving the Pipetting Toll for Better Results
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and BRANDTECH Scientific | 3 min read
Scientists use an automated liquid handling station to ensure consistency across a range of experiments.
preprint academic publishing science research covid-19 coronavirus pandemic reproducibility
Opinion: The Rise of Preprints Is No Cause for Alarm
Jonny Coates | Apr 14, 2021 | 4 min read
At a time of fast-paced science and rampant misinformation, can we trust the non–peer-reviewed literature?
animal behavior, animal cognition, reproducibility, replication, publishing, research integrity, animal research, experimental design, data reporting
STRANGE Framework Addresses Bias in Animal Behavior Research
Amanda Heidt | Jan 27, 2021 | 5 min read
The journal Ethology is the first to adopt the guidelines, aimed at clarifying experimental design and the potential biases within.
The Gripper Tower lab scene epMotion
Automating NGS Library Prep
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and Eppendorf | 3 min read
Liquid handlers specialized for next-generation sequencing (NGS) automate nucleic acid extraction and library preparation from microbiome samples.
a cartoon of a human head with arrows going in different directions and speech bubble that say "yes!" and "no!"
Research Teams Reach Different Results From Same Brain-Scan Data
Ruth Williams | May 20, 2020 | 4 min read
When 70 independent teams were tasked with analyzing identical brain images, no two teams chose the same approach and their conclusions were highly variable.
UK Group Tackles Reproducibility in Research
Emily Makowski | Jan 7, 2020 | 5 min read
Last month, 10 UK universities became part of the UK Reproducibility Network, joining researchers, funders, journal publishers, and regulatory agencies.
SciNote
No More Messy Notes: Modernizing the Lab Notebook
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and SciNote | 2 min read
An electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) keeps data organized and secure, boosting productivity and reproducibility.
antibody validation reproducibility crisis C9ORF72
Opinion: Scientists Need to Demand Better Antibody Validation
Peter S. McPherson | Oct 15, 2019 | 3 min read
My lab has developed a protocol to easily assess the specificity of antibodies—and hopefully stem some of the reproducibility crisis.
mri fmri neuroscience genetics cognition
Replication Refutes Study Linking Neuroimaging to Genetics
Emma Yasinski | Sep 30, 2019 | 3 min read
The original experiment found brain activity as measured by fMRI was tied to particular genetic variants.
Traceable, Reliable, and Reproducible Science: TRACKMAN® Connected
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
TRACKMAN® Connected is a tablet with accessories and apps that makes pipetting faster and more verifiable, which improves reliability, traceability, and reproducibility at the bench.  
magnetogenetics neuroscience techniques
Two Studies Fail to Replicate Magnetogenetics Research
Katarina Zimmer | Sep 20, 2019 | 9 min read
The new work calls into question the idea that neurons can be genetically engineered to fire in response to magnetic fields, a setback for the budding technique.
New Journal Seeks Typically Overlooked Studies
Emily Makowski | Sep 18, 2019 | 1 min read
Its articles will include negative results, reproducibility studies, and peer reviewers’ names.
Fixing the Flaws in Animal Research
Diana Kwon | Sep 1, 2019 | 8 min read
Many preclinical studies carried out in vivo are poorly designed and generate irreproducible data, but efforts to address the problem are on the rise.
Potential Causes of Irreproducibility Revealed
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 11, 2019 | 4 min read
Five independent groups got different results in a drug-response experiment, despite sharing protocols, reagents, and cell lines. The researchers identify technical variables that could be to blame.
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