20. Detective work of troubleshooting a puzzling experiment: negative control as a guide

We will experience the fascinating world of scientific troubleshooting. In this episode, we will revisit a life-science experiment where researchers aimed to see if a specific chemical compound could enhance a particular function in cultured cells. Their plan seemed straightforward - a pilot experiment with a positive control (active compound) and a negative control (inactive compound). They wanted to confirm everything worked as expected. But the results were strange! Both the positive and negative controls showed unexpectedly high cell function, leaving the researchers scratching their heads. Join us as we explore the initial troubleshooting steps. Help us by showing your idea: where in the protocol the problem could be hiding. Stay tuned for the next episode where we continue this exciting discussion.    This is Part 13 of the reading mini-series "Let’s read a paper written by Nobel Prize Laureates, 2023."    (My email is active. But my website is under construction. Please wait for a while. Thank you for the patience!)