# Introduction to Biotechnology Laboratory Manual

- By: Donna Barron
- Publisher: Hudson Valley Community College
- Source: [LibreTexts](https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Biotechnology/Introduction_to_Biotechnology_Laboratory_Manual_(Barron))
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
- Read at LibreTexts: https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Biotechnology/Introduction_to_Biotechnology_Laboratory_Manual_(Barron)
- PDF: https://downloads.libretexts.org/api/v1/download/bio-135085/pdf

Regardless if you work at a biotechnology company or in an academic research lab, keeping a lab notebook is a requirement. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) handbook states, "if it isn't written down, it wasn't done." The lab notebook is considered a legal document and can be used in court to settle patent disputes or to report a specialist’s finding in paternity suits or criminal cases. Often times, the lab notebook is used as a starting point for other scientists who work in the lab.