After many days of work and waiting through long incubations, I have now screwed up not only the first, but the second Western blot I have ever done in my life. Granted, the problems are relatively minor considering the number of things that could go wrong in such an extended process, but both of my final outcomes would have been unacceptable data. It’s extremely disappointing to me not only because so much time has gone into something that turns out to be inaccurate, but also because this is one of those elementary techniques that everybody in the lab has mastered, making it appear easy. I keep thinking back over my meticulous following of the protocol wondering at what point I went wrong.
The worst part about the whole thing is the damage to my pride. I should be able to do this flawlessly but I am not. Plus, there’s the shame I’ll feel going into work next week with my dismal results. Ouch.
One response to “Blotting My Dismay”
Hey Michael!
I worked for two summers in a Malaria lab, doing Western blots and other such exhilarating things, (note the sarcasm). Don’t worry, it is always rough the first couple of times you run through the protocol. The research assistants only got to their level of expertise through slugging it out, just like you. I promise, in a couple of weeks you’ll be great.