The most difficult thing for freshmen is writing the report.
When I first entered university, I could follow the experiment itself, but writing the report felt like a whole different class.
For this reason, today I will share how I got an A+ in my lab course!
A lab report is mostly composed of
- Name
- Introduction
- Protocols
- Results and Discussion
- Conclusion
- References
Sections ‘Name’ and ‘Results and Discussion’ are provided by your professor.
📌Introduction
This section covers the technical principles and essential background knowledge.
Assuming we are performing a PCR experiment, we can compose this section as follows
➀ Scientific Background
| DNA structure | DNA is composed of two complementary strands (A-T, G-C). Heat denatures the hydrogen bonds, separating the strands |
| Primers | Short synthetic oligonucleotides (18~25 bp) designed to flank the target region. They define the start and end points for amplification |
| dNTPs | […] |
➁ Principle of PCR
PCR is a molecular biology technique used to amplify a specific DNA sequence in vitro. Through repeated cycles and cooling, PCR exponentially increases the number of copies of the target DNA region using the following steps
- Denaturation : Double-stranded DNA is separated into single strands by heat
- Annealing : Short single-stranded primers bind to their complementary sequences on the target DNA
- Extension : A DNA polymerase synthesizes new strands of DNA starting from the primers
Each cycle doubles the amount of DNA, resulting in exponential amplification
[…]
📌Results and Discussion
We should never manipulate results.
Even If the experiment fails, it is not hopeless – in fact, it provides more points to analyze and discuss.
One of the most common mistakes made by freshman is writing the conclusion too briefly or vaguely.
To achieve the best possible report, the conclusion should be written as detailed and scientific as possible.
Worst Conclusion and Discussion
After running PCR cycles, we performed agrose gel electrophoresis.
A single clear band was observed at expected size.
Based on this, we concluded that this experiment was successful.
Best Conclusion and Discussion
During the denaturation step, we were initially confused about which temperature would be most appropriate between 94°C and 98°C.
To resolve this, we researched and found that the optimal temperature depends on the GC content of the template DNA.
This is because G-C pairs form three hydrogen bonds, making them more stable than A-T pairs, which form only two.
In this way, every part of the protocol – including the choisce of temperature, method, or biological material – should be supported by scientific reasoning and analysis
📌Conclusion
Summarize and synthesize the key points and significance of the experiment.
Best Conclusion
The PCR experiment was successfully performed, and a clear DNA band was observed at the expected size, confirming accurate amplification of the target sequence.
Although you read this post, you might still find it difficult – and that’s completely normal.
By writing various reports and receiving feedback from your professor, you can gradually improve your repor-writing skills.
In addition, my site is here to help make it easier for you! 😊
