#109 — How do you build a scientific network that gives you the best chance of getting your research funded? How can you identify who to include in your network, and how should you contact them?

This episode explains how to build a scientific network that works for you. We discuss the answers to these questions and provide some examples of collaborations that ended well—and some that didn't.

Check out our online article for additional resources to help get your research funded. [1] If you struggle to convey the impact of your research, you should definitely check out our webinar on this topic. [2] Plus, you can find more direct funding advice from Joel Berry here. [3]

Resources:
1. Personal Advice on Building Your Professional Network. It Takes a Village. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/77734/professional-network/
2. How to Effectively Communicate Your Research. Available at: https://events.bitesizebio.com/how-to-effectively-communicate-your-1/join
3. How to Become an Expert at Getting Funded. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/77308/how-to-become-an-expert-at-getting-funded/

#108 — What should you use to fix your cells? Alcohols or aldehydes? Gluteraldehyde or formaldehyde? And how long will your cells stay fixed?

This episode explains the four main fixatives for histology and cytometry and when to use them. It also provides some practical tips to ensure your fixation works and explains the benefits of combining fixatives.

Check out the corresponding article for links to related resources. [1] To learn more about autofluorescence and the controls you need to check for it, read this article. [2]

Resources
1. 4 Fixatives for Histology and Cytometry. Perfect Your Preservation. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/22141/fixation-and-flow-cytometry/
2. 5 Controls for Immunofluorescence: A Beginner’s Guide. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/44370/controls-for-immunofluorescence-a-beginners-guide/

#107 — Need to give your microscope a quick clean to get rid of some grime but unsure what cleaning agent to use? Have you had a nasty sample on there recently and need to disinfect it for the next user?

This episode gives you a quick guide to disinfecting your microscopes, including what solvents are safe to use and the parts you should tackle first.

Check out the corresponding article for helpful references. [1] To get a better understanding of the safety of your samples and other people's, read our introduction to safety datasheets. [2]

Resources:
1. Microscope Disinfection: A Quick Guide. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/47987/microscope-disinfection/
2. Deciphering your Materials Safety Data Sheet. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/21848/deciphering-your-materials-safety-data-sheet/

#106 — Transforming a tissue sample into a slide ready for microscopic exploration involves a series of critical steps. Among these, tissue processing is a fundamental phase bridging tissue fixation and the embedding/sectioning of paraffin blocks.

In this episode, discover what exactly happens in this vital in-between stage, and learn about the six steps that ensure your samples are ready for microscopic examination. [1]

And while you're here, check out our related articles on tissue fixation and embedding/sectioning [2,3], and the five important stages in histology slide preparation. [4]

Resources:
1. Tissue Processing For Histology: What Exactly Happens? Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13469/tissue-processing-for-histology-what-exactly-happens/
2. An Introduction To Fixation For Histology: Think Before You Fix! Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13401/think-before-you-fix/
3. Tissue Embedding and Sectioning: Something to Think About Whilst in the Bath. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13414/tissue-embedding-and-sectioning-something-to-think-about-whilst-in-the-bath/
4. How Histology Slides Are Prepared. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13398/how-histology-slides-are-prepared/

#105 — You may be familiar with standard single fragment ligations: insert, vector, ligase—done! But what if you have a complex cloning project with a massive region of DNA to clone? You can’t PCR the whole thing, and you can’t cut the entire thing out from somewhere else. What do you do?

In this episode, we explain the answer: multiple fragment ligation.

Check out the corresponding article for some handy illustrations and links to related resources. [1] To discover more ways to go about molecular cloning, check out these five approaches. [2] And read this article to dive deeper into how ligation works. [3]

Resources:
1. Multiple Fragment Ligation: The Why and How. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/67124/multiple-fragment-ligation/
2. Cloning Methods: 5 Different Ways to Assemble. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/26961/cloning-methods-5-different-ways-to-assemble/
3. DNA Ligation: How it Works & 6 Top Tips. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/10279/how-dna-ligation-works/

#104 — What funding stream is right for you? Industry or government? Non-profits or crowdfunding? It depends on what you're researching, but also where you want to take your career.

In this episode, Joel Berry, Founder, and Chief Scientist at Astound Research, breaks down the different funding streams and flow of money in bioscience research. Discover the scope and requirements of each type of funding source, and get a breakdown of the overall funding landscape so you can pick the funding stream that works best for you.

Check out the corresponding online article for links to more helpful funding resources. [1] Plus, discover how you can advocate for science funding [2] and dive deeper into whether crowdfunding will work for your project. [3]

Resources:
1. Funding Opportunities and the Flow of Money in Science. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/77353/funding-opportunities-landscape/
2. Defend Science Funding! A Brief Guide. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/36701/defend-science-funding/
3. Kick Start Your Research With Crowdfunding! Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/20876/kick-start-your-research-with-crowdfunding/

#103 — DNA sequencing is a fundamental technique in modern molecular biology that has revolutionized the study of genes.

In the old days, Maxam–Gilbert sequencing was the method of choice, but it has mostly been replaced by Sanger sequencing and Next-Generation methods.

Yet, it still has some niche uses, and in the historical context of DNA sequencing, it’s hugely important!

So, in this episode, learn about what Maxam–Gilbert sequencing is, why it lost popularity, and why some researchers still use it today.

Check out the corresponding article to see if you can read a Sanger sequencing gel and decipher the final amino acid code. [1] And check out our primer on the Sanger sequencing method to learn why it was so advantageous over the Maxam–Gilbert method. [2]

Resources:
1. Maxam–Gilbert Sequencing: What It Is and 3 Modern Applications. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/36696/maxam-gilbert-sequencing/
2. Sanger Sequencing: How the Genome Was Won. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/27985/sanger-sequencing-genome-won/

#102 — Fluorescence microscopy images not only look great but also allow us to get a better understanding of cells, structures, and tissues. And confocal laser scanning microscopy lets us construct 3D images from 2D micrographs.

In this episode, learn the basic principles of confocal laser scanning microscopy, how the microscopes work, and some of its applications in bioscience and beyond.

Check out the corresponding article for a handy confocal laser scanning microscope diagram. [1] Learn about the Airy unit [2] and check out our guide to choosing a fluorescent protein for your experiments. [3]

Resources:
1. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Explained In 3 Easy Steps. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/19958/confocal-laser-scanning-microscopy/
2. Rubbing Your Microscope’s Eyes: A Guide to Optical Resolution. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/13415/rubbing-your-microscopes-eyes-a-guide-to-optical-resolution/
3. The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Fluorescent Protein. Available at: https://bitesizebio.com/54287/choosing-a-fluorescent-protein/