Experimental Setup #1

Michael: ‘I think duplicates of cells with media only, a low dose of Supplement X, and a high dose of Supplement X should be enough, right?’

Dr. Lee pauses for a moment and asks: ‘Let’s think about this carefully. If all the wells contain cells, even those with ‘media only,’ what are we really testing against?’

Elena: ‘Well, we’d see how the cells grow without Supplement X, compared to the low and high doses.’

Dr. Lee: ‘That’s true, but what about contamination? How could we rule out whether something in the media itself—like microorganisms or storage issues—might have affected the results?’

Michael: ‘Oh, I see. There’d be no control for potential contamination in this setup.’

Dr. Lee nods: ‘Exactly. Without sterility control wells (media only, no cells), we wouldn’t know if any changes were caused by contamination of the media or some issue unrelated to the cells or treatment. You’re thinking in the right direction.’ 

Dr Lee nods in agreement and the group moves forward, following the proper experimental setup under Dr. Lee’s guidance.

What should be included in your experimental set-up?