Use of Informatics for Storage and Retrieval of Scientific Information

Health and Safety Legislation in Scientific Organisations

Risk Assessment: Identifying potential health and safety hazards and evaluating the level of risk they pose.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH): This involves managing the use and storage of dangerous substances.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Utilise suitable protective clothing and equipment to minimise exposure to hazards.
First Aid: Understand basic first aid procedures and have appropriate first aid kits readily accessible.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR): Report any accidents or dangerous occurrences as required by law.

Chemical Hazards: Certain substances can be harmful if touched, inhaled or swallowed; these include toxic, corrosive or reactive chemicals.
Physical Hazards: These can include cluttered workspaces, poor lighting, and unsafe machinery.
Biological Hazards: The handling of certain biological samples can have the potential to cause infections.
Exposure to Radiation: X-rays or radiation-emitting substances used in certain experiments can pose a hazard if not correctly handled or stored.

Organic Synthesis: This is the process of constructing organic molecules through chemical reactions.
Filtration: Separation technique used to separate solids from liquids.
Distillation: This technique is used to purify and separate liquids based on differences in their boiling points.
Reflux: A technique used in organic synthesis to heat a mixture for an extended period.

Crystallisation: It is a separation and purification technique that forms solid crystals from a saturated solution.
Sublimation: This technique involves changing a substance from a solid to a gas and back to a solid to purify it.

Spectrometry: Techniques such as mass spectrometry or infrared spectrometry can be used to analyse the physical properties and structure of matter.
Chromatography: Techniques such as thin-layer or gas chromatography can be used to separate and identify the components of a mixture.
Titration: A technique used to determine the concentration of a substance in a solution.

Continuous Process: This involves running a reaction non-stop to produce large quantities of a substance.
Batch Process: This involves producing a substance in separate, sequential steps.
Quality Control: This involves regular testing of products to ensure they meet the required standards.

Melting Point Analysis: Pure substances have a sharp melting point, while impure substances melt over a range of temperatures.
Boiling Point Analysis: A pure substance has a specific boiling point.
Chromatography: If a substance is pure, it will produce only one spot in a chromatography test.
Colorimetry: This measures the concentration of an element in a solution by measuring its degree of light absorption.

Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS): These digital systems are used to track samples, manage data, and maintain quality control.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): These are established protocols for carrying out specific tasks or experiments to ensure consistency and safety.

Reports and Research Papers: These provide detailed accounts of experiments, results, and conclusions.
Presentations: Visual and oral presentations are used to share information with peers or the wider scientific community.
Laboratory Meetings: Regular meetings allow for the sharing of findings, issues or breakthroughs, and planning for future work.

Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs): These digital platforms are used to document experiments, observations, and results.
Digital Databases and Data Repositories: These systems provide a centralised storage solution for diverse data types in large quantities.
Bioinformatics Tools: These software tools are used to analyse and interpret biological data.