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Organizing your lab
Organizing Ideas
While you may not have a say in choosing the physical space of your lab, you do have the
opportunity to setup everything exactly the way you want. You'll likely bring ideas from
previous experiences on how to organize a lab. What's important to keep in mind is that optimal
organization is strongly correlated to productivity and performance. Therefore, taking time to think
about how your lab is organized can prevent you from ending up with a setup that will be too
painful to fix. Your lab setup can either be an ally or an obstacle.
There are three main factors that you should take into account when organizing a lab: people,
equipment and experiment workflows. Here are some lab organization ideas that might help you.
Draw a blueprint of your
lab space
Make a sketch of the existing space and layout what's needed. Include
measurements, especially for equipment and small details like wall cabinets
and chairs.
Create zones to organize
your workflow
In your blueprint, include common workflows of experiments. Organize tools
and equipment in a way that helps you achieve maximum efficiency and
productivity, e.g., incubations need a row of rockers, heat blocks and water
baths. Try to keep prep and experimental tasks separate.
