The international community is abuzz following developments out of Moscow: The Kremlin security service has ordered 3,200 white, female mice no heaver than 18 grams each. Naturally, everyone involved is tight-lipped on the subject. An official brushes off questions, saying simply, "There are more important things to think about."
What on Earth would the Kremlin--the Kremlin security department, no less--want with all those rodents? The leading theorists seem to think some furry fast food is on the menu for the Kremlin's resident falcons. Poppycock, I say! To scientists, the answer is obvious. The security guards are clearly carrying out genetic research during their coffee breaks.
The fundamentals for a good genetic experiment are all here: large sample size, identical coat color suggesting inbred mice with similar genetic backgrounds, and all females, logically to study the effects of an oppressive communist regime on breast tumorigenesis.
The question remains however: where are these mice coming from? Who is supplying the Russian capitol with the tools for their nefarious schemes?
I've got my eye on you, Jackson Lab.
March 28, 2008
March 27, 2008
A Scientist's Life For Me
For all the lay people out there, I thought I'd take some time and describe the life of a mol-bio grad student in a little more detail.
The first year usually consists of taking a few classes while simultaneously doing rotations in a few research labs to see which is a good fit. Think speed dating, but the interviews last ten weeks and you're frustrated the whole time because your experiments don't work. Okay, maybe they're more similar than I thought. But I digress. Students usually approach rotations with much trepidation, because the lab we choose will be our second home for the next five years, on average. I refer to it as a "second home" because students usually keep 60-80 hour work weeks, give or take a few, visiting the lab most every day for varying amounts of time. In return, tuition is waived and they're given a stipend of roughly $20K per year, depending on institution. I try not to think too much about what that would work out to as an hourly wage.
Speaking of earning sweet moolah, students may also compete for fellowships, both within their institution and from external sources. This not only looks good on resumes, but sometimes leads to some extra cash in your pocket. Outside funding means you're off the payroll of your P.I. (Primary Investigator, aka Professor, aka Boss), which means he/she might throw you a few thousand more per year on top of your fellowship bucks. It's win-win all around.
At the beginning of the second year, students will pick a lab in which to stay and work on a long-term project that will eventually become their thesis. Students also usually finish their course requirements during their second year. Once the classes are done, a student does research full-time. Candidacy, or "quals" as it's sometimes called, occurs during the third year, after which students are considered full-fledged "Ph.D. Candidates," and the remaining time is spent working towards their dissertation.
Again, from start to finish, the whole process takes five years, give or take a few. I know people who've flown through in four years, and others who have taken as long as seven. There's really not an official point at which a master's degree is awarded. At least in America, the programs are designed around doctorates, but if a student decides to leave the program between candidacy and graduation, they can usually wrangle an M.S. for time served. Typically though, a student will spend the entire five or so years and graduate with their doctorate.
I'm getting toward the end of my second year now. I joined my lab in June '07 and jumped into an existing project investigating breast tumor metastasis. That's all I can really say in such a public forum without being disappeared in the night. Hopefully there'll be a paper out within the next few months, and then the game will really be afoot.
The first year usually consists of taking a few classes while simultaneously doing rotations in a few research labs to see which is a good fit. Think speed dating, but the interviews last ten weeks and you're frustrated the whole time because your experiments don't work. Okay, maybe they're more similar than I thought. But I digress. Students usually approach rotations with much trepidation, because the lab we choose will be our second home for the next five years, on average. I refer to it as a "second home" because students usually keep 60-80 hour work weeks, give or take a few, visiting the lab most every day for varying amounts of time. In return, tuition is waived and they're given a stipend of roughly $20K per year, depending on institution. I try not to think too much about what that would work out to as an hourly wage.
Speaking of earning sweet moolah, students may also compete for fellowships, both within their institution and from external sources. This not only looks good on resumes, but sometimes leads to some extra cash in your pocket. Outside funding means you're off the payroll of your P.I. (Primary Investigator, aka Professor, aka Boss), which means he/she might throw you a few thousand more per year on top of your fellowship bucks. It's win-win all around.
At the beginning of the second year, students will pick a lab in which to stay and work on a long-term project that will eventually become their thesis. Students also usually finish their course requirements during their second year. Once the classes are done, a student does research full-time. Candidacy, or "quals" as it's sometimes called, occurs during the third year, after which students are considered full-fledged "Ph.D. Candidates," and the remaining time is spent working towards their dissertation.
Again, from start to finish, the whole process takes five years, give or take a few. I know people who've flown through in four years, and others who have taken as long as seven. There's really not an official point at which a master's degree is awarded. At least in America, the programs are designed around doctorates, but if a student decides to leave the program between candidacy and graduation, they can usually wrangle an M.S. for time served. Typically though, a student will spend the entire five or so years and graduate with their doctorate.
I'm getting toward the end of my second year now. I joined my lab in June '07 and jumped into an existing project investigating breast tumor metastasis. That's all I can really say in such a public forum without being disappeared in the night. Hopefully there'll be a paper out within the next few months, and then the game will really be afoot.
March 7, 2008
In Like a Lion
Here's the forecast for Columbus for today and tomorrow:
Snow Will Continue To Overspread The Region Late This Morning...And May Mix With Rain Or Freezing Rain This Afternoon. Two To Four Inches Of Snow And Trace Accumulations Of Ice Are Possible By This Evening. Precipitation Will Change Back To All Snow Late This Evening...And Last Through Saturday Afternoon. Four To Five Inches Of Snow Is Expected Tonight...With An Additional Five To Six Inches Falling Saturday Morning. Snow Will Taper Off And End Saturday Afternoon. In Addition...North Winds At 15 To 25 Mph With Higher Gusts Will Cause Significant Blowing And Drifting...And Limit Visibilities To Near Zero At Times. By Late Saturday Afternoon... A Foot Or More Of Snow Is Expected With Drifts Up To Two Feet.Seasonal Affective Disorder? Seems like sound reasoning to me. Luckily, the closest grad students usually come to braving the elements is checking the doppler on weather.com. Let's hope the heater doesn't break down.
March 4, 2008
Motivation
Sometimes, no matter what your profession, it's easy to lose sight of your goals as you become lost in the day-to-day frustrations of building your career. This is as true in science as it is in any other field. When I tell people I do cancer research, I'm always met with genuine awe and admiration. Initially my ego swells, but I try to be quick and deflate my pride by focusing on the fact that daily, there's really not much glamour in being a scientist. The hours are long, the pace is plodding, and data remains elusive. Often, deft as we may be at winning people's admiration, one's motivation suffers as a result.
But then someone like Dr. Randy Pausch comes along and reminds you why you got into science in the first place. Dr. Pausch is a Carnegie-Mellon professor, husband, and father to three. He will also most certainly die within the next few months as a result of his battle with metastatic pancreatic cancer, one of the most difficult-to-treat and therefore deadliest cancers out there. Last year, he took part in CMU's "Last Lecture Series," in which professors are invited to speak as if they only could make one final lecture. Unfortunately, the premise for Dr. Pausch is far from hypothetical. Shortly thereafter he performed a shortened version for Oprah on her show:
There is so much one can say about Dr. Pausch's talk, but few words could do justice to a man who shows such courage and humility in the face of death. What he has to say is not only motivating to those in the biomedical research fields, but to all who have dreams, who have families, who succeed, who struggle. He is a man who has realized what life should be about, however abbreviated it may become. He reminds those in the medical field why they got into the business in the first place, and he reminds everyone else that things really aren't so bad. Dr. Pausch's full "Last Lecture" from Carnegie-Mellon is posted below.
But then someone like Dr. Randy Pausch comes along and reminds you why you got into science in the first place. Dr. Pausch is a Carnegie-Mellon professor, husband, and father to three. He will also most certainly die within the next few months as a result of his battle with metastatic pancreatic cancer, one of the most difficult-to-treat and therefore deadliest cancers out there. Last year, he took part in CMU's "Last Lecture Series," in which professors are invited to speak as if they only could make one final lecture. Unfortunately, the premise for Dr. Pausch is far from hypothetical. Shortly thereafter he performed a shortened version for Oprah on her show:
There is so much one can say about Dr. Pausch's talk, but few words could do justice to a man who shows such courage and humility in the face of death. What he has to say is not only motivating to those in the biomedical research fields, but to all who have dreams, who have families, who succeed, who struggle. He is a man who has realized what life should be about, however abbreviated it may become. He reminds those in the medical field why they got into the business in the first place, and he reminds everyone else that things really aren't so bad. Dr. Pausch's full "Last Lecture" from Carnegie-Mellon is posted below.
March 3, 2008
The Cold Open
Introductions are in order. Now, I know blogging on the edifying topic of being a Ph.D. student in molecular biology won't exactly give me priority status on the terrorist watch list, but the nature of our work necessitates that I remain at least semi-anonymous. Can't have any rivals scooping my work. Maybe it's also a subconscious desire to maintain a secret identity, a consequence of my love for superheroes and (not so) latent desire to become one. But for now, call me Dave. As you can tell from the teaser I dropped a few sentences ago, I'm currently working toward my Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biology, matriculated in The Ohio State University. Accordingly, stay tuned for observations and commentary regarding the sundry dramatic nuggets of the scientific life, along with the occasional post on art, movies, music, and life in general. Because I have other passions besides toiling in the mouse room, you know. What you won't find are posts about my personal life, celebrity gossip, or graphic sexual dialogue. Ok, no promises on those last two. Names will be changed to protect the innocent.
Maybe I'm putting too many limitations on myself, but really it's surprising that I'm writing this at all. I used to regard blogging with a certain level of disdain, deeming it the domain of vapid elitists who are vain enough to think the world would benefit from a public journaling of their mundane lives. It was quite the paradigm shift, then, for me to realize I am an elitist, and the world would benefit from my chronicled musings. So here it is, my own personal soapbox. I hereby christen this space The Science and the Fury, a blog for all seasons.
Aw, who am I kidding? I don't know anything about weather changes. I work in the lab.
Maybe I'm putting too many limitations on myself, but really it's surprising that I'm writing this at all. I used to regard blogging with a certain level of disdain, deeming it the domain of vapid elitists who are vain enough to think the world would benefit from a public journaling of their mundane lives. It was quite the paradigm shift, then, for me to realize I am an elitist, and the world would benefit from my chronicled musings. So here it is, my own personal soapbox. I hereby christen this space The Science and the Fury, a blog for all seasons.
Aw, who am I kidding? I don't know anything about weather changes. I work in the lab.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
