Preventing lab spats snowballing into grievances will aid science

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As scientists, we routinely develop protocols that make our experiments safer, more rigorous and more reproducible yet we rarely create protocols for the interactions that make those experiments possible.

From experimental procedures to safety manuals, science has long embraced standardisation. More recently, we have adopted protocols for data management, authorship, mentoring, artificial intelligence and more. Although we continue to refine how we conduct science, we devote far less attention to how we conduct ourselves as scientific colleagues in the laboratory.

The obstacles to scientific progress are endless. Experiments fail, hypotheses prove incorrect and unexpected results are part of the scientific process. Yet many delays arise from something far more preventable: a lack of clear expectations among the researchers who share a laboratory. Examples that seem trivial on the surface – borrowing a reagent without asking, booking a precious shared instrument but not using it, forgetting to refill a communal stock solution or failing to communicate a schedule change – often lead to lost time, awkward interactions, hard feelings and erosion of trust.

These small, avoidable moments quietly accumulate, distracting from discovery and diminishing the collaborative environment on which science depends. Establishing shared expectations for everyday interactions can help overcome these challenges and ultimately propel science forward.

Having explicit agreements for coexisting is uncommon in scientific research laboratories but familiar territory for many of us. A college roommate agreement is a well-known example. At the University of California, Los Angeles, for example, these agreements are developed within days of students moving into halls of residence. Their real value is not the document itself but the conversation it requires.

From quiet hours and overnight guests to cleaning responsibilities and shared expectations, topics that might otherwise remain unspoken are openly discussed, allowing roommates to listen to one another, clarify expectations and develop a shared understanding before recording their agreement. The goal is not to create a legal process but to make expectations explicit before problems arise. For roommates, these conversations lay the foundation for a healthy living environment. For scientists, they can lay the foundation for a collaborative research environment in which discovery can flourish.

No one wants another bureaucratic protocol but discussing and documenting shared expectations in a research laboratory need not be burdensome. A universal document – or even a universal name – is unnecessary. Call it a “Labmate Compact”, “Benchside Manners” or anything that fits your laboratory. What matters most is that lab members engage in an open conversation, learn to listen to one another and work together to shape their shared environment.

Likewise, altough the specific contents will vary across laboratories, the underlying themes are likely to be universal: demonstrating respect for one another, practising active listening, fostering communication, establishing and maintaining shared resources, supporting colleagues, resolving conflict constructively and encouraging the open exchange of ideas.

The benefits of discussing and documenting expectations for how lab members work together extend far beyond preventing minor disagreements. Laboratories in which expectations are clearly established are better positioned to build trust, strengthen collaboration and reduce the everyday friction that quietly consumes time and energy.

New members can onboard more quickly, trainees may feel more comfortable asking questions, mentoring relationships become stronger and good laboratory practices – from documentation to reproducibility – are more likely to be reinforced by peers. Over time, these small improvements can foster a healthier, more supportive research environment, improve retention and ultimately propel scientific discovery. Every misunderstanding prevented is time and mental energy returned to discovery.

Research laboratories are not only where young scientists learn how to conduct experiments – they are where they develop the skills needed to contribute to science and society. The expectations established during graduate school and postdoctoral training often become the norms that scientists carry throughout their careers as faculty members, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, physicians and managers.

By making conversations about communication, collaboration and mutual respect a deliberate part of laboratory culture, we are not simply improving today's research environment – we are shaping the scientific workplaces of tomorrow. The culture experienced by today's trainees becomes the culture they create in tomorrow’s laboratories.

Science has always advanced by refining its protocols. Perhaps it is time to give the same thoughtful attention to the human interactions that make those experiments possible.

Idriss Njike is director of University of California, Los Angeles’ Residential Life where Neil Garg is Distinguished Kenneth N. Trueblood Professor of Chemistry, vice-chair and associate dean.