Getting into the lab,via the stomach

摘要

The world of lab consumable sales is a competitive battlefield of cut-throat companies all fighting over a handful of confused researchers somewhere in the middle of no-mans-land.Each company looking for a weapon in their arsenal to give them an edge.Much like that metaphor,those poor researchers end up feeling stretched and confused.Over the years I've been offered all kinds of things to entice research money out of my account;competitions,a free iPod,a day out in Swindon and even the chance to be an advert.But all of these have been nothing compared to the convincing power of lab snacks.I'm not sure which company did it fist,but lab snacks are snacks that get shipped with our lab orders as frcebies to enjoy with our newly purchased items.The first lab snack I was ever sent was by a chemical company that shipped me a packet of sweets with my order of Bovine Serum Albumin.Somewhat confusingly(and possibly dangerously) the sweets were in an identical chemical pot made up to look like sweets.Luckily the parcel arrived after my morning coffee and I spotted it before automatically filing them in the chemical store.