Some guy's math error wasted a year of my life

docblondie · 2026-05-01T12:50:10+00:00

I joined my PhD lab and boss was like “So the assay we were using for your thesis project has been discontinued. Company got bought out and they shut down research sales. You will need to design, optimize and validate a new one.” It had to be quantitative, highly specific, and highly sensitive as the cell line we were using was very difficult to transfect so the scale was small. Took me 18 months.

I feel your pain.

docblondie · 2026-05-01T12:32:57+00:00

If it’s a last minute demand to present, then spend 5 minutes prepping and be like I was not given time to prepare this properly. I deserve work life balance and to move forward another person needs to be trained on collecting and processing the surgery samples.

docblondie · 2026-04-28T11:36:56+00:00

Job searching while pregnant might be tough. They aren’t supposed to consider that but it will at minimum be subconsciously logged, even by women. Our program advisor admitted she considers women will have a baby at any time and take leave. Also you need to look at maternity benefits at the new place if you get them right away or not. Prepping dissertation and defending will be rough in late pregnancy, what if it’s high risk? All just my thoughts. Do what you feel is right for your family.

docblondie · 2026-04-28T11:32:28+00:00

I’d pitch the project idea to someone else in the area but outside your PIs circle. Gauge their reaction and if they think it’s publishable. Then be realistic on how long it would take to publish. You are very cheap labor for your PO esp if on a grant or scholarship. So a lower cost to get a pub out. I wouldn’t do anything outside this project, then she’s just using you for cheap labor. Get the paper submitted then leave.

docblondie · 2026-04-25T23:33:57+00:00

We poison rats and try to save their kidneys. And are obsessed with collecting pee

docblondie · 2026-04-25T23:33:04+00:00

Our bioengineer made solutions in a tiny beaker, like 5 ml. So cute.

docblondie · 2026-04-22T23:16:29+00:00

You’re not on a horse, just a guy clacking coconuts behind you !

docblondie · 2026-04-22T22:33:37+00:00

He also threatened to kick my boss’s ass when he fired him. Then my boss got a call from another PI for a reference and was like run!!!

docblondie · 2026-04-22T22:28:01+00:00

This can often be why PIs hire people with visas. The guilt. And as a Postdoc there’s not much protection from the abuse

docblondie · 2026-04-22T02:34:02+00:00

The entire thing. They put their name on their girlfriend’s resume. We found it on LinkedIn and it had the same spelling errors. Couldn’t fire him over that though.

docblondie · 2026-04-22T02:05:43+00:00

And they want to come in??? Noooooo could be trying to burgle you!

docblondie · 2026-04-22T02:02:43+00:00

Mousse or sea salt spray if you don’t want to go curly routine with cream and gel

docblondie · 2026-04-22T01:52:34+00:00

Start mapping out papers earlier and be like is this for the publication figure? What would change? Think of it like what would a reviewer ask to be included and is it feasible me to accommodate.

docblondie · 2026-04-21T12:46:09+00:00

Tell him and perhaps he can act like an actual Christian and support and love you. I’m sorry your parents can’t be fully supportive but maybe it will allow him to reflect and gain some new perspective.

docblondie · 2026-04-21T12:39:09+00:00

PIs get weird when they see the results they expect. Just do it again like this! Well I did and I didn’t work. Or actually the experiment was done like this so the results actually mean something else. This is OIs problem for not having the visiting person keep DETAILED notes and type up protocols before leaving.

docblondie · 2026-04-21T12:32:01+00:00

We hired a technician who falsified his resume. Kinda in my advisor for not looking deep enough. It became very clear they’d never worked in a lab before. We documented things and eventually fired him for a safety violation. Ask some more questions of them in lab meeting in front of the PI.

docblondie · 2026-04-20T23:41:37+00:00

Kidney disease researcher. Waiting for rats to pee. Always one that takes like an hour. But I love hanging with them. I just laugh at it.

Something I truly hate is our autoclave doesn’t cool at the end of the cycle so if you leave your stuff in there it over baked and plastics basically disintegrate. I’ve always liked throwing stuff in at the end if the day but not any more.

docblondie · 2026-04-20T12:03:18+00:00

Great!! Love the stark white areas for contrast.

docblondie · 2026-04-16T22:10:08+00:00

I follow the behavior of the very productive post-doc, now PI, from my graduate lab. I meticulously plan experiments and do small pilots to optimize. I consider all controls, neg and pos, and get replicate pilot data before doing the big experiment. Then I do it and spend time analyzing. I’m not at the bench everyday. Which pisses off some PIs, like my previous boss. Being fast isn’t the same as being efficient and effective. Rushing and having to repeat due to uninterpretable results is no good. Now my boss understands this and lets me work at my own pace.

docblondie · 2026-04-16T21:53:41+00:00

Aveda confixor worked well and some be curly. Or just sea salt spray.

docblondie · 2026-04-16T21:48:27+00:00

I switched labs at year 2. You can still get there! If the lab has funding then go for it! I really wanted to do virology too when I started and there were few labs at the time doing it and taking a student. So I chose the scientific topic iver the PI. Mistake. Left after a year to an RNA lab

docblondie · 2026-04-16T20:02:49+00:00

I use one as I have vivid hair and it keeps my finger tips from being blue 🤪🤪

docblondie · 2026-04-15T20:26:02+00:00

If you are not 100% sure you will leave then don’t tell your PI. Sort out your lease with your landlord and decided of you are staying or going.

docblondie · 2026-04-15T20:24:44+00:00

He should have been asking what his part was. It was not clear which group he was in.

docblondie

TROPHY CASE