BASIC AND ADVANCED TECHNIQUES USED IN LABORATORIES

Abstract

Laboratories are specialized facilities, and conditions within the labs can be greatly varied. There are basic techniques that apply to all labs, such as cleaning and safety. In addition, many labs have special requirements dictated by their purpose, which can include highly specialized procedures and specific equipment. In some labs, there can be unique tools and advanced techniques, such as specialized tests or knowledge of instrument-specific procedures. The purpose of the review is to provide an overview of these topics with an emphasis on basic safety, cleaning, and general laboratory skills, and to then provide an in-depth look at field-related lab tests and techniques associated with different geology subdisciplines. A teaching lab may have very different user requirements from a quartz assay lab. Furthermore, even within the same laboratory, procedures can be different due to different check-out requirements and/or reagent usage. Therefore, instrumentation-specific training may also be required. The purpose of the review is to provide an overview of specialized geology-related laboratory techniques to help standardize laboratory operations. The aim is to make the tasks and personnel safety more predictable so other lab team members are better informed and better equipped to facilitate regular user traffic and reduce the risk of accidents. Better in-depth knowledge of basic, advanced, and field-related general techniques should raise preparedness and comfort levels. (Holland & Davies, 2020)