How to Increase Efficiency in Your Medical Research Lab

In our hectic modern age, efficiency is often equated with doing more with less. That’s really not all there is to it though. A more thorough definition would include operating at an optimum level, do the best job you possibly can, ensuring that errors are reduced to an absolute minimum, and avoiding any superfluities or redundancies.

If we keep that more comprehensive definition in mind, it should be fairly obvious that a medical research lab is one place where efficiency should be at a premium and it is achievable with the right people, equipment, and procedures/processes in place.

People

First (and obviously) you have to hire the right people – those who are trained and qualified, willing to learn about new products and procedures, able to adapt, and who can work as functioning members of a tight-knit team. This can be a tall order to fill for the pressure of an accuracy-dominated medical research lab.

Increasing lab efficiency (or even just sustaining the current level) requires robust leadership, continued training, and clear objectives. Because technology advances at an increasingly rapid pace, it is absolutely essential to promote a culture of innovation. Everyone on the lab team should be encouraged to question why they are doing something a certain way and to constantly seek better ways to do it.

Equipment and Products

It probably goes without saying that most labs already have the best equipment that their resources and training levels allow for. Still, the search for newer and better products that can increase throughput can never be neglected. Every year new products, such as the latest generation programmable lab equipment, hit the market.

For example, Lifecycle Biotechnologies’ Boval BioSolutions offers over 30 custom BSA formulations in both liquid and aqueous forms, with a high degree of customization available to meet nearly any specification needed. They have also developed an innovative cell culture grade of HSA as an alternative to the USP therapeutic grade. In addition, Lifecycle’s Chata Biosystems manufactures custom aqueous reagents and chemicals for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical testing in custom-engineered packaging options designed to pair and enhance processes. Not to mention, Lifecycle’s VI Plastics, a leader in consultation, design, product development, and fabrication of large part manufacturing and custom blow mold designs, is slated to launch two new products in 2017. Any lab seeking to increase efficiency has to stay on top of and be ready to incorporate such new products.

Procedures/Processes

Another key to increasing lab efficiency involves improving, streamlining, and standardizing procedures and processes. It can be something as simple as Leaning bench space or placing the most-used items within easy reach of the user’s dominant hand as a well thought-out and drawn up bench-layout plan can help in this respect.

Even more crucial to improving efficiency is starting at the wrong (or in this case, the right) end – that is, starting with the intended outcome. Beginning with the goal and working backward is not only more effective, but can save a lot of time and effort. You won’t develop and write up a process method or procedure plan only to find out later that it isn’t possible with that method to say, process as many samples as needed.

At Lifecycle Biotechnologies, we understand the need for increased efficiency in your medical research lab. We also take our role as a life sciences tools and service supplier very seriously. Discover more about how we can help you improve efficiency in your lab with our products and services.