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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Hidden flaws in common piece of lab kit could botch experiments

Well-used magnetic stirrers harbour metal atoms that could bias the results of chemical and biochemical reactions.
Four beakers containing blue liquid and spinning magnetic stirrer bars in a lab

Magnetic stirring bars are ubiquitous in research labs, but the bars accumulate damage over time that could muddy experimental results. Credit: Getty

The rapidly whirling magnets used to stir mixtures in laboratories the world over can carry contaminants that confound experimental results.

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Nature 568, 146 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-00980-7

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