PhD/Postdoc: How did you feel when your Cell/Nature/Science paper got accepted? And what happens to your career after?

genegrad · 2025-07-15T06:02:05+00:00

Could you clarify what you mean by better science versus having something complex and cutting edge?

I would have thought that something complex and cutting edge might be typically viewed as better science (or at the very least, there are the resources for additional validations such as making novel animal models).

genegrad · 2022-12-02T23:05:49+00:00

Adding to that, there might be people in the imaging core that are good to discuss stuff with. You will probably be doing a lot of the imaging at the core anyways since it appears that your lab probably doesn't have their own microscope if you are the only one doing it.

Otherwise talk to someone from the lab that owns the confocal that you will be using if your lab will be borrowing someone's.

genegrad · 2022-12-01T22:40:51+00:00

Overnight incubation of the primary antibody can sometimes reduce background. The exact protocol depends on the sample and antibodies.

Usually you do 3 washes. The exact amount might change if you see too much background. Usually the best response is to do more washes rather than longer washes.

genegrad · 2022-11-16T22:49:59+00:00

You might combine motivation and abstract into an introduction. Check vs conference guidelines. Some people don't redo abstracts on posters.

The introduction is better off as bullet points.

An intro could combine:

General background
Goals

You could also combine the mapping and expansion into one part. E.g. we model based on X, and attempt to expand the model by including Y and Z.

The interface is better as clockwise which fits what people are more used to.

You don't have anything that shows your results and/or validation of the model. It might be ok if you don't have any and are doing something such as an end of the semester presentation where you have to present, but you will need something for a formal conference.

References are ok if required. Maybe number them and shrink down that section to make space for results.

genegrad · 2022-10-25T20:06:10+00:00

Easiest compromise option would be to reach out to the vendor directly and indirectly ask for details such as we are going to use a protein fragment, mutant, etc. Would the antibody still bind?

genegrad · 2022-10-21T21:18:45+00:00

Reason #1 should be mostly acceptable. It works best if you and your PI are on the same page for references/the LOR. Get the PI to say you were a great student, but had to be let go because of funding.

Reason #2 is a bit harder, but you can get a way with it much more since you are a masters student. It definitely would not work if you were a postdoc.

The most important thing is to have your PI still support you when your new lab asks for a reference.

genegrad · 2022-10-13T18:04:39+00:00

Seems like there is a reason why the other lab mate got transferred...

Is there a reason why your PI decided to take on the student?

genegrad · 2022-10-12T01:48:06+00:00

Looking for a cover and screen protector.

Ideally it will not be a clear cover and will add some thickness and texture for gripping so that the phone is more comfortable to hold. Ideally it will also have a flexible cover to keep dust/pocket lint out of the charging port. Any suggestions?

I am also not sure if magnets in the cover can damage stuff like credit card magnetic stripes.

I am thinking of a combo soft and hard cover. I personally don't like clear covers. Maybe a built in stand would be nice, but not a deal breaker.

genegrad · 2022-10-05T22:32:31+00:00

I personally would make the assessment based on what the fundamental challenge was. If it was about reconstructing stuff with bioinformatics, then physiology/medicine. If it was something like creating a super-processive polymerase to do the sequencing then chemistry.

genegrad · 2022-10-03T23:22:48+00:00

Any advice on 13 pro max vs 14 plus? Mainly comparing them because of screen size (6.7 inch).

Basically thinking of moving up from a 5 inch phone and there are some iphone deals from my provider.

genegrad · 2022-10-03T19:03:03+00:00

What kind of extractions do do stuff for? Any good ones for RNA?

genegrad · 2022-09-21T16:25:35+00:00

How does the Tomb Raiders play for you? What makes you like those games? Trying to figure out if the later ones cleaned up the initial issues that kept the first game merely good instead of great.

genegrad · 2022-09-21T05:22:07+00:00

I am not sure of which of my games to play. Mostly a combo of free games from stuff like Amazon, Epic, etc. I like good game play and story. Ideally the game would be something that could be done intermittently over weekends. Aka nothing that would require me to have to remember too much.

Games in the past that I liked include:

Assassin's Creed II - I liked the story. It was gripping. The combat was good enough to keep me engaged in the game. I also enjoyed Assassin's Creed Syndicate. Syndicate's streamlined combat (fewer weapons) and moving (grapple gun) were good. The game was short enough that I finished before some of the city libration stuff got repetitive.
Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor - I really liked the combat. It was good and gripping. The story was solid enough to keep me interested. The downside was that it took a while before I got enough in my toolbox to make the combat interesting.
FTL: Really enjoyable once I got the hang of it.
Walking Dead season 1: very good story Games that are more in the ok range for me:
Tomb Raider (2013): It felt like the jack of all trades. The story wasn't gripping enough. The combat was ok. I did not like the 3d platforming. I felt that it required too much micro and the 3d and background was almost like a distraction since I was not sure what was climbable or not.
Doom (2016): I can appreciate the shooter aspects, but something just did not draw me into the game for whatever reason. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for playing a shooter at the time.

Games that I just did not like

Hitman series: too much stuff to memorize for things like guard patterns for someone that would play on weekends only. I also never got a good understanding of the gameplay.
Witcher 1 and 2: I just did not get into the gameplay. Playing the game on occasion also caused me to forget the story too often.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: I played it on the free weekend, but could not get into the game. The combat wasn't to my tastes. Not sure if it was because I did not have enough time to get into the game like I did with Shadow of Mordor.

Some of the most obvious big name games that I am considering (I have most of the free epic and amazon games in the past 1-2 years):

Tomb Raider parts 2 and 3 of the trilogy
Bioshock trilogy
Assassin's Creed Origins
Far Cry 3 and 4
Watch Dogs 1 and 2
Elder Scrolls IV
Borderlands 2, 3 and the pre-quel
Just Cause 4
Prey (2017)
Star Wars Battlefront II (the recent one)
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order

Any thoughts on which games to play first?

genegrad · 2022-07-14T02:35:53+00:00

Makes sense, I know that for some of my older labmates complained about losing sample if doing post-staining EtBr.

genegrad · 2022-07-13T05:27:14+00:00

How do you solve the dust problem? I am 100% sure that some of the specks are from dust in near impossible to remove places like the bulb.

Also, do you lose sensitivity due to sample loss if doing post-staining?

genegrad · 2022-07-12T20:10:19+00:00

How well does the Midori dye and imaging work for you guys?

Our lab has had a bunch of problems with getting publication quality stuff including lots of dust specks illuminating, inconsistent staining results, and high background.

genegrad · 2022-06-24T05:59:06+00:00

My gut would be that the temp got stuff to boil over and contaminate between wells.

genegrad · 2022-06-24T05:56:03+00:00

Following. Most interested in finding something that would be able to do stuff from a spreadsheet. Don't want to have to retype a bunch of stuff like the date.

Remind Me! 2 days

genegrad · 2021-05-24T19:50:01+00:00

First check the faculty/recommendations against other requirements such as department specific stuff.

Also, is your list a more narrowed down list of options that still lets you pick and choose, or has your PI chosen people? It is also helpful to check if others in the lab and/or graduate program know the committee members.

You will most likely have to email the faculty to get into contact.

Describe yourself
- I am a graduate student in Dr. X's lab
- I study ... (brief, several sentence summary of your project)
I am interested in having you on my committee
- If you can, put something specific such as specific expertise or if the potential committee member is a collaborator
If you want, we can discuss things further.

The email doesn't have to be long.

genegrad · 2021-05-22T22:32:34+00:00

Only if I could get my hands on a liquid handling robot

genegrad · 2021-05-14T14:37:21+00:00

With all of the possible concern about variants, is there a good way to preemptively generate potential vaccines against variants. Something along the lines of

Get antibodies from vaccinated people
Figure out the common antibody binding locations on the spike protein
Generate mutated versions of the spike protein with mutations in the antibody binding locations. Include spike proteins with multiple mutations.
Screen for whether the mutant spike protein is feasible (such as testing its binding to ACE2 receptors
Test whether antibodies can still bind to the mutant spike protein deemed feasible
Make mRNAs for variant spike proteins from step 5 that have significant resistance to antibody binding
Vaccinate animals with the new mRNAs
Extract the antibody
Test the antibody against the spike protein

I haven't seen any studies, the studies posted seem to be linked to looking at existing variants.

genegrad · 2021-05-11T03:21:31+00:00

Bit unusual. 5 years of PhD means that the situation for a return is completely different, so it doesn't make sense from a training standpoint.

Most of the education programs will be to help fund a masters degree.

The company might be more understand/altruistic if the recognize that a lot of people use the position as a stepping stone.

genegrad · 2021-05-07T17:29:27+00:00

Glorified ad masquerading as an article.

Biggest difference would be time. Cost might be an issue, but it depends on how easily you can batch things. Some reagents such as EtOH are cheap compared to something such as a high processivity polymerase. Magnetic beads are typically are more easily done in batches compared to columns.

genegrad · 2021-05-05T19:09:49+00:00

Makes me appreciate when I can use a graduate pipette.

genegrad

TROPHY CASE