Failure Case Library

Real lab failures, root causes, and fixes — curated and bilingually annotated by our team.

All Techniques (6) Nucleic Acid Quantification (9) Lipid Transfection (8) End-point PCR Primers (9) Cell Culture (Contamination) (7) PCR (Sigma Guide) (12) Flow Cytometry (Controls) (8) PCR / qPCR Plastics (9) PCR (Invitrogen Guide) (8) Cell Culture (Precipitates) (6) Cell Culture (Cell Death) (8) ELISA (Sigma Guide) (6) PCR / RT-PCR Amplification Problems (5) Flow Cytometry (Paraformaldehyde Fixation) (14) Flow Cytometry (Sample Considerations) (14) ELISA (R&D Guide) (10) Western Blot Immunodetection (19) Flow Cytometry (CST Guide) (8) Immunohistochemistry (CST Guide) (14) Immunoprecipitation (CST Guide) (14) ChIP (CST Guide) (8) ELISA Development (9) Western Blot (Sigma Protocol) (8) IP-Western Blot (6) Western Blot (CST Guide) (8) Flow Cytometry (Fixation Buffers) (7) Flow Cytometry (Isotype Controls) (7) Flow Cytometry (Fixation & Permeabilization) (9) Flow Cytometry (Fc Blocking) (7) Flow Cytometry (Compensation) (7) Flow Cytometry (Autofluorescence) (7) Flow Cytometry (Troubleshooting) (8) Tissue Imaging (Autofluorescence) (9) ELISPOT (8) Immunoprecipitation (Protein Obstruction) (1) Immunoprecipitation (No Protein Detected) (5) Immunoprecipitation (High Background) (8) Immunoprecipitation (High Antibody Elution) (1) Immunohistochemistry (No Staining) (9) Immunohistochemistry (High Background) (9) ChIP (PCR Amplification Problems) (4) ChIP (Low Signal) (8) ChIP (Low Resolution with High Background) (6) ChIP (High Background) (1) Western Blot (Blue Background) (1) Western Blot (Unusual Gel Band Appearance) (3) Western Blot (Unexpected Multiple Bands) (7) Western Blot (Misshapen / Uneven Bands) (5) Western Blot (Bands at Wrong MW) (5) Western Blot (Detection Problems) (7) Western Blot (Weak / No Signal) (6) ELISA (Standard Curve Fit Problems) (6) ELISA (Inconsistent Results / High CV) (6) ELISA (High Background) (8) ELISA (Signal Problems) (11) ELISA (Competitive) (18) Cell-free DNA Extraction (8) Bacterial rRNA Depletion (4) RNA Depletion for RNA-seq (7) LAMP (Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification) (7) HMW DNA Extraction (Monarch) (7) NGS Library Preparation (NEBNext Ultra II) (7) RNA Cleanup (4) DNA Cleanup & Plasmid Purification (7) PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) (26) Restriction Enzyme Digest (13) Western Blot (9) Immunohistochemistry (IHC) (6) Colony Formation Assay (10) Transwell Migration / Invasion Assay (5) qPCR (RT-qPCR) (5) Transfection (8) Plasmid Construction (1) Sanger Sequencing (2) Plasmid Mini-prep (1) Plasmid Construction (Double Digest) (1) Protein Extraction (4) Transfection (Co-transfection) (1) Transfection (siRNA Knockdown) (1) CCK-8 Cell Viability Assay (5) Wound Healing Assay (5)
ELISA (Standard Curve Fit Problems) severe

Standard Curve R² Below 0.98 Threshold

The regression coefficient (R²) of the standard curve falls below 0.98, indicating poor curve fit and unreliable quantification of sample concentrations.

💡 5 causes ✓ 6 fixes
ELISA (Standard Curve Fit Problems) minor

Standard Curve OD Values Differ From Datasheet

The optical density (OD) measurement values for the standard curve vary considerably from the examples shown on the kit datasheet or protocol booklet, causing user concern about assay validity.

💡 4 causes ✓ 4 fixes
ELISA (Standard Curve Fit Problems) severe

Serial Dilution Calculation or Execution Error

Standard curve shows irregular pattern or non-monotonic response, with individual points deviating significantly from expected sigmoidal or linear trend.

💡 5 causes ✓ 6 fixes
ELISA (Standard Curve Fit Problems) severe

Incomplete Standard Reconstitution with Visible Particulates

After adding reconstitution buffer to lyophilized standard, visible undissolved material or particulates remain in the vial, leading to inaccurate standard concentrations.

💡 4 causes ✓ 6 fixes
ELISA (Standard Curve Fit Problems) moderate

Standard Curve Fitting Model Not Appropriate

The recommended curve-fitting model (typically Four-Parameter Logistic) does not adequately fit the standard data points, resulting in poor correlation even with properly prepared standards.

💡 4 causes ✓ 5 fixes
ELISA (Standard Curve Fit Problems) moderate

High Coefficient of Variation Between Standard Replicates

Duplicate or triplicate wells for the same standard concentration show high variability (CV >10-15%), compromising curve fit and confidence in quantification.

💡 5 causes ✓ 6 fixes