A shaker is a tool commonly used in the laboratory for many different applications. This device consists of a motor-powered platform that agitates in a circular motion. When you’re doing an experiment where your samples need to be mixed up, you can place your plate, tube, or beaker on the platform, set it to the desired speed and how long you want it to shake, and let it go! A shaker is especially useful for experiments that include multiple washing steps or incubation periods where turbulence is needed to move the reagents around so that everything is distributed evenly. Overall, a shaker is a simple but very helpful instrument - just be careful not to set the speed too high, or you may have a mess on your hands!