The Most Popular Stories from Lab Manager in 2021
A look back at the top five most read articles of the year
Here, we look back at the top five articles that Lab Manager readers viewed and engaged with the most in 2021.
Top news story: Tracking COVID-19 Virus Mutations across the World
In February 2021, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology announced that a SARS-CoV-2 tracker developed by researchers at the university could be used to sequence publicly available data to show how the virus that causes COVID-19 changes and spreads over time. The team named the tracker CovMT. "As new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus emerge, authorities around the world need to know if these, or similar variants, have entered their countries," said computational biologist, Intikhab Alam, at the time of the announcement. Alam designed the CovMT system with a team in KAUST's Computational Bioscience Research Center.
Top business management article: Prioritizing Resources in the Lab
An important part of a manager’s job is knowing how to prioritize resources—equipment and personnel—to best achieve the laboratory’s goals. A myriad of issues, such as test types, employee skillsets and expertise, and equipment type, should be understood and regularly evaluated to best achieve a successful prioritization strategy. Without understanding the interplay of these factors, urgent projects can potentially fall behind and budgets be exceeded. Further, employees can experience unnecessary burnout, leading to errors.
Top health & safety article: Electrical Safety in the Laboratory
Electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. However, because electricity has become such a familiar part of our daily lives, we tend to overlook the hazards electricity poses, and fail to treat it with the respect it deserves. This article covers all the basic information lab managers and staff should know regarding electrical hazards and safety.
Top leadership & staffing article: The Dual Role of Manager and Mentor
If you’re a leader in a laboratory, one of your primary roles is not just to manage the people on your team, but also to mentor them. Great employees will stay where they are growing, and where their progress and contribution are valued. Because their personal and professional growth will also benefit your company, this makes your investment in mentoring a win-win. This article offers tips on how to successfully execute management and mentorship as cohesive roles.
Top lab design article: Lab Design in the Time of COVID
Lab design for life sciences organizations has been impacted as a result of COVID-19, and 2021 marked a time where urgent design responses to the pandemic coalesced into trends. In many cases, the impact of COVID-19 on lab design built on shifting space planning and space requirements that were evident prior to the pandemic. The pandemic has amplified trends in modular planning and the mix of lab requirements, but will these trends continue post-COVID?
Thank you to our readers for choosing Lab Manager as a trusted resource for lab management and leadership guidance. We’re excited to offer more insightful coverage in 2022!