Scientific research is fueled by a desire to answer questions – What is the molecular basis of disease? Can we use individual DNA sequences to personalize medical treatments? Does the world really need another ‘male enhancement drug’? But as we find out over time, not all questions are created equally…
BenchLife
Being a scientist isn’t just about doing experiments, so neither are we. This is where we make breakthroughs beyond the bench for scientists.
Ask Me One More Time… I Dare You.
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Poverty Nutrition III: Empty Refrigerator Contingency Plan
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So the only things in the refrigerator are jelly and ketchup. Again. Despite the best intentions, sometimes eating home-cooked meals as a grad student seems even more hopeless than finding a time when all the members of your thesis committee can meet together.
How Long ’til Your Resolution Implodes?
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This holiday season, in honor of that elusive ‘work-life balance’ concept, we shut the doors at BenchFly and took a rest. While it’s always sad to see the holiday season end, we couldn’t be more excited about getting back to work because of what 2011 holds in store. In fact, in the next couple of weeks we’ve got some great contributed articles we’re eager to share as well as a couple of exciting announcements!
The Grad Student’s Holiday Party Survival Script
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What do the holidays mean to graduate students? Time to take a well-deserved break from the lab. Time to step back from the bench and take a hard look at their project. Oh, and time to have the same, depressing conversation with family and friends who don’t really understand the process of grad school but feign interest once a year.
Best. Cashews. Ever. (Is That Rosemary?)
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‘Tis the season of holiday parties and get-togethers. Therefore, ’tis also the season of figuring out what to bring or serve that is unique, inexpensive and easy but will make a great impression. Luckily – unless you’re allergic – you’ve just found your dish.
How Long Should Grad School Take?
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How long does it really take to properly train a PhD student? Two years seems short and 25 years seems on the long side, so the right answer must lie somewhere in between.
POD: Toaster-Oven Pie on Demand
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I am always in search of good ideas to steal from. The other day, trolling for recipes, I came across this post and immediately fell in love (and seriously started considering whether or not I need to change the title of this blog, considering how often pie comes up!) At any rate, the idea is simple – you make single-serve pies in mason jars, bake them off (or not, in the case of fruit pies) seal them up, freeze them and then heat them up as needed!
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Giving Thanks in Lab
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Nobody will ever accuse research of being easy. However, interspersed among the challenges we face in lab are a number of events worth celebrating- events that keep us going. When buried under a seemingly endless list of experiments, it can be difficult to take time to appreciate the accomplishments along the way. So in this week of giving thanks, we want to know which of these lab-related milestones you’re most thankful for.
3 Scientific Products We Need in Lab
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Today kicks off Global Entrepreneur Week, and to celebrate we’ve called in three budding young companies to pitch their new scientific products to us. So please take a look at what they’ve got to offer and vote for the one you’d like to see in your lab in the next few months.
LabLibs: The Qualifying Exam Courtesy Note
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Few events strike fear in the heart of a grad student like the qualifying exam. Many students begin stressing about it shortly after starting grad school- a good two years early. So it’s not surprising that as the time nears to pay the piper, students take studying seriously. In fact, they often leave the lab altogether for 2-6 weeks, leaving an empty (and vulnerable) bench…
