Issue link: https://resources.nanotempertech.com/i/1050656
nanotempertech.com Reason #2 Going the way of the dinosaur Technology changes fast. If you've noticed that peers at other institutions are publishing work faster than you, it's time to consider if your instrument is obsolete or otherwise outdated. Here are the general telltale signs: • Resolution and data quality are degraded • Long wait-time for results • Everyone else is using a different standard • You can't adopt the newest techniques with your instrument If your instrumentation is no longer relevant, you will remain a few steps behind everyone else, and your science will suffer as a result. Reason #1 Avoiding the dreaded 'scoop' Not having the right equipment can make life really hard, but you're also running the risk that other research labs working on a similar project will beat you to publishing in high-impact journals because they are using better technology. To remain competitive in your research field, you need to have the equipment that can keep you in the running. Too o en, years of research go down the drain when a lab's work is "scooped" by another lab. Having cutting-edge equipment would help you avoid being scooped by other labs and get your work in a high-impact journal before theirs. Yes, it's a bit of a "keeping up with the Joneses" scenario, but it's really important to your lab's survival. Reason #4 Borrowing your parents' car gets old If your lab lacks the equipment you need, you may be forced to run certain parts of your experiment at an outside lab or facility that has the equipment. Sharing that equipment with others can slow you down, as you'll have to wait for your turn to use it and there may be travel involved. It's not an ideal scenario. Therefore, it would probably make more sense to own the equipment you need in your own lab. Then you would have convenient access to the equipment and can speed up your research. Reason #3 Chasing your tail gets you nowhere fast In some cases, you may have a research question that you cannot answer with the current equipment in the lab. What are your options? You could find roundabout ways to get these answers, but in the process you could waste a lot of time, possibly even years. You could be running experiments inappropriately because you don't have the right tools. But if you acquired or had access to state-of- the-art technology, you could get the results you need in order to publish your work.