We wouldn’t sit down to dinner at a friend’s house and slurp up the soup using only our hands. We wouldn’t start peppering a seminar speaker with questions on their title slide, either. Why not? Simply put, it would be rude. Most situations in our lives are dictated by etiquette – a series of guidelines that suggest the “proper” behavior for a situation. The lab is no different…
Flyceum: Your Science. Your Career.
We’re following in the tradition of open discussions among scientists that has resulted in important advances in both science and society.
Lab Etiquette: Don’t Make us Call Supernanny
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Challenges in the Scientific Curriculum
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Professors face a number of challenges in teaching science to undergraduate and graduate students. Some of them are relatively easy to fix, while others pose significant challenges. With research becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, should (and can) the undergraduate science curriculum evolve to reflect the emerging landscape? We spoke with Professor Teaster Baird, Jr. about the current state of education and the solutions that may rescue it.
Suggestions to Improve Graduate Education
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I was on the golf course a few weeks ago philosophizing with a dear friend of mine and our conversation starting wandering the way of reminiscing about our PhD experiences, which differed greatly.
Extraction of Limonene Using Liquid Carbon Dioxide
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I’d heard about a mythical method for extracting limonene from orange peel using supercritical carbon dioxide. Perhaps that doesn’t sound that exciting, but the fact that a friend of mine had seen this being done in a plastic tube, in an exhibition hall at a science education conference really got me thinking. How on earth can you get liquid carbon dioxide in a plastic tube? Surely the pressure would cause the tube to explode?
Graduate School Year 5: Approaching the Finish Line
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In the final installment of our week-long Guide to Graduate School, we profile the final (hopefully…) full year. There’s no way to pull a Rosie Ruiz here – the only way to make it this far is to run the entire race…
Guide to Graduate School: Year 5
Coming out of the darkness of Year 4, this year is filled with a number of milestones that start to make graduation feel like a reality. As such, it can be a very exciting year. Busy, but exciting…
Graduate School Year 4: Hang in There
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In the fourth installment of our Guide to Graduate School, we profile what is arguably the toughest year.
Guide to Graduate School: Year 4
My fourth year made Glenlivet and Advil a lot of money…
For most people, this is a brutal one. We’ve been banging our heads against the wall trying to get the project to move forward and things just aren’t working. The long hours and constant failure are taking their toll. As we enter the fourth year, papers are now top of mind and there is an increasing pressure to get them out (if we haven’t already). The reality that we will not graduate until something gets published is starting to weigh heavily on the mind.
Graduate School Year 3: The Sun is Shining!
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Today we take a look at the third year of graduate school. With Year 1 and Year 2 completed, we’re nearing the halfway point.
Guide to Graduate School: Year 3
The clouds have parted and the sun is out! No classes. No teaching. No exams. The third year is a great one. The qualifying exam likely helped create a well-defined project for you and with all the distractions out of the way, it’s time to focus on making some progress. Finally, you’re doing what you came to grad school to do – research!
Graduate School Year 2: A Few More Hoops
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In day two of our series, we profile the second year of grad school. Here’s what to expect after the first year is history.
Guide to Graduate School: Year 2
FINALLY classes are over! This is no small feat – after 20 years of sitting in a classroom, taking exams, you have reached the end. However, the time that was previously filled with classes and rotations will now likely be spent teaching and stressing about the qualifying exam, which looms on the horizon for most second-year students. But overall, it’s a good time and you’re one step closer to performing full-time research.
Welcome to Graduate School!
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All over the country today a new crop of eager young scientists begin their journey of discovery. Graduate school is a great time of learning and exploration, but it can also be stressful – especially the beginning. Perhaps the hardest part about the transition to grad school is the uncertainty involved. When will I graduate? Who should I work for? What’s expected of me? Can I drink the lab ethanol?
How to Perform Colony PCR
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Ligations can be painful. Let’s just get that out of the way up front. When I was first learning them as a grad student they were significantly more painful because I had no idea how sensitive they were to the amount of DNA added. So as a beginner, I thought “I’m having trouble getting this insert to go in, I’ll just add more insert.” Bad call.
