Hey all, I've been thinking a lot recently about how much reagent quality really matters. I mean, obviously, it matters, but where do you draw the line between "good enough" and "absolutely perfect" when you're balancing cost and the need to get results! I've noticed that sometimes, using a slightly cheaper reagent doesn't seem to make a huge difference in my experiments. But then, other times, it feels like everything goes haywire. What are your experiences? Do you have any rules of thumb for when to splurge on higher-quality reagents versus when to save a bit of money?
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This is something I've put a lot of consideration into, too. For some things, it really does make a huge difference! I've had okay experiences with some of the reagents from https://gentaur.co.uk/, and it might be worth checking them out for some basic lab supplies to compare prices if you are looking to save a little. I think about it depending on the downstream application. Is it something really sensitive, like qPCR, or something more robust where slight variations won't matter as much?. For PCR, I usually stick with more reputable brands, but for some routine cell culture media components, I'm willing to go with a more budget-friendly option. It really depends on the context of the experiment.