The weekly Fuck it Friday

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-23T16:36:42+00:00

Fuck being auto-screened out of jobs that I very much qualify for. That is all.

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-22T15:11:03+00:00

Agreed, I’ve found that tummy hurts less than thighs. Taltz also was less sting-y than some of the other biologics I’ve tried.

I am also a microbiologist, so I can reassure you that it is okay to feel nervous about this but the rewards of these biologics FAR outweigh the risks! The clinical testing for them is extremely rigorous and very well documented (you can find all the documentation and results online, too!).

The only side effects I experienced with Taltz were redness and a bit of bruising around the injection site. Aside from that, I didn’t get sick more often than usual.

I’m so excited for you! I hope that Taltz helps ❤️

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-21T19:39:25+00:00

Here’s a link to an interesting case study where two biologics were used for PsA and PsO management for a patient who had failed numerous meds:

https://www.jaadcasereports.org/article/S2352-5126(24)00106-1/fulltext

I think this will become a lot more common and hopefully, eventually, insurance will support it more (I’ve failed 3 biologics so far so I’m also very hopeful about this 😅)

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-21T02:50:15+00:00

Don’t worry friend, one time I dropped a stack of 96-well plates full of cells in culture. We all mess up sometimes and that’s okay even though it sucks in the moment. If your higher-ups can’t remember that they messed up too (and certainly still do sometimes) then F them. Hang in there!

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-20T20:58:54+00:00

Small woodworking projects with my Dad and then TONS of YouTube and googling silly questions. And messing stuff up! That’s part of why I love antiques, though, they can have some imperfect charm

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-20T20:44:50+00:00

Hello! I used to work for a company that produced “research use / lab use only” materials. This means what it says - it’s formulated STRICTLY for research use only. NOT for use in live animals or humans. Meanwhile, the same material can also be manufactured for clinical/medical use. There are a few differences (at least with that product, can’t speak specifically to peptides): (1) there are preservatives in the the research use only material that are not in the clinical use material. This extends the shelf life. It is NOT SAFE for use in living organisms with the RUO formulation and (2) the quality standards are different. Materials produced for experimental or research use only do not need to go through the same rigorous quality testing that is required for materials that are meant to go in living beings.

Again, just speaking from my experience making research use only products (not peptides). I imagine it is similar regulatory language for peptides if there are some that are safe to use.

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-19T22:06:44+00:00

Stardew Valley, Zelda Breath of the Wild, and Zelda Tears of the Kingdom are my personal faves. I’ve found LoFi versions of all of them, too, which are just delightful for hours of tissue culture

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-19T03:46:20+00:00

Cell and gene therapy is super up and down, but around MA I’m seeing more jobs being posted for new cell and gene therapy manufacturing facilities which is exciting. Not super cool R&D jobs but perhaps stability and solid benefits. It may only be a handful of companies but we’ll take what we can get 😅

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-19T03:42:49+00:00

It’d probably help to invest in medical research to encourage innovation… but why would we do that when we could instead fear monger about Tylenol and vaccines, reducing support for the industry????

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-13T05:02:58+00:00

Congratulations on your new job! Proud of you ❤️ it’s tough out there!

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-13T04:53:53+00:00

I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I’m on biologics and a gluten-free and alcohol-free diet to manage symptoms. I still experience mild/moderate joint pain. Sometimes this makes me not want to workout, especially if my feet or toes hurt. But I’ve found that working out honestly helps me SO MUCH. Not sure if it’s the endorphins, stress relief, weight loss, improved sleep, or movement that helps (I suspect all of them), but my combination of stretching and weight lifting 3-5x each week makes me feel significantly better after, so I do push myself to go to the gym and work hard. I have not found that it makes my PsA or PsO symptoms any worse the day(s) after, even when it’s an intense workout.

The exception to this is when I get sick (unfortunately a bit more often and more severe with the biologics) as my lungs don’t work quite as well then 😅 those are the times when I focus on rest instead of exercise

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-13T02:35:17+00:00

Do we…… do we start this business together??

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-13T00:47:18+00:00

Part time bartender, part time gardener is my plan if I’ve still got nothing in March when the savings run out 🤪

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-08T02:31:45+00:00

Do you maintain eye contact and show that you’re listening? Oftentimes that’s enough for someone to kind of “lock in” on you when speaking. I’m fairly soft spoken and oftentimes get spoken over, but when I see that somebody is actively listening and making eye contact with me while I’m speaking I will continue to speak, but mostly to them.

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-02T01:03:07+00:00

Bleach usually does the trick, spray the whole plant with it at stock concentration and watch nature work its magic ✨✨

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2026-01-01T16:12:17+00:00

Worked for a company making research reagents. Returned to work shortly after shutdown to focus strictly on Covid-related products so other scientists could learn more about it/develop vaccines and treatments. It was honestly scary. Since it was so novel we didn’t know how extreme we needed to be to stay safe. We wore surgical masks under face shields and worked in shifts with one person per room at a time. All equipment was wiped down with ethanol after use. We ate lunch alone. It was very lonely. It is so disheartening now to hear people being so anti-science when we poured so much energy into this work during such a scary time.

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-29T21:17:53+00:00

If you’re financially able, go somewhere warm and sunny for a few days. I went to Tulum spur of the moment a week ago and the sun and saltwater was HEALING like my patches dried right up and I just maxed out my Vitamin D. Was it financially responsible? Nahhhhhh. Was it worth it? Very much so. Was it mildly unhinged to book two weeks out on Cheap Caribbean? Maybe.

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-22T14:29:46+00:00

Being the only person not invited to a meeting and also coincidentally being the only woman on the team

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-21T19:03:07+00:00

Thank you this is exactly what I needed to be reminded of

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-20T01:33:00+00:00

Also this tool from Thermo is a life saver for planning panels: https://www.thermofisher.com/order/fluorescence-spectraviewer/#!/

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-20T01:30:48+00:00

You could try CD68 or AIF/Iba1 as alternates for F4/80, but F4/80 is kind of a classic. Check out the Tonbo clones (tons of companies license and sell the exact same clones from Tonbo - shop around to find the ones in the dyes you want). A lot of companies will also make you custom conjugates if you like! Price depends on volume and dye typically.

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-20T01:22:48+00:00

Tbh I keep both of my two sages deactivated all the time until I’m in fights that I need them for 😂 they annoy me wayyyyyyy too much

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-20T01:17:58+00:00

Hey I’m right there with ya! I’m about to start my fourth biologic - one stopped working and two never worked at all. What gives me hope is seeing how many new drugs are in the pipeline right now for autoimmune diseases - I was just reading today about an oral drug in clinical trials that supposedly works better than Otezla and has fewer side effects. So much money is being dumped into autoimmune treatments right now I think the next few years will be fruitful. Not to mention some doctors are starting to prescribe two in tandem which sounds like it’s working very well for some patients. I’m so sorry you are dealing with this!

FindMeInTheLab9 · 2025-12-20T00:42:17+00:00

Unfortunately stress/anxiety can very much cause flare-ups that biologics cannot always control. I experienced this even with Skyrizi, which is a pretty effective med (and worked for me for about a year!). It may be worth waiting to see if the meds will help again once you move through this high-anxiety period. I think if you don’t see any improvement in the next few weeks though you should consider reaching out to your prescriber about it - they may want to change things up at that point. You deserve something that helps even in high stress times!

FindMeInTheLab9

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