In a laboratory setting, what is the importance of verifying reagent expiration dates?

Verifying reagent expiration dates is crucial for ensuring accurate results are produced in laboratory settings. Reagents that have surpassed their expiration dates may undergo chemical changes, leading to decreased potency or efficacy. This decrease can directly affect experimental outcomes, resulting in invalid or unreliable data. If the analytical results obtained from using expired reagents are incorrect, it could compromise the integrity of research, diagnostic processes, or treatment decisions based on those results. Therefore, maintaining the validity and accuracy of laboratory findings hinges on the use of fresh, unexpired reagents. Proper verification of expiration dates helps laboratories uphold the quality and reliability of their work, which is fundamentally significant in fields such as histocompatibility and diagnostics.