...I’m working with a talented journalist to shine light on living as a scientist in Beijing, talking to ...to people about taking beautiful photographs of their studies, reporting on amazing women in science, or... or asking someone how and why they left academia. Humans are designed to pay attention and enjoy anecdotal...We build narratives around the self, too — when talking to friends or dates or colleagues we tell tales... a solid point to kick off at. Whatever you’re working on, start wherever it makes sense to start and ... overnight. The only way to improve is to keep working on telling a story again and again and again until...

...different kinds of grants that you can apply for. If you are in a lab, your PI is likely working on a number..., we posted these 25 great tips for scientists working at home, and you will still find this useful. Now...been doing this for almost 6 months, you may be looking for more ways to make sure you are moving forward...Addgene have gone virtual!   2. Practice public speaking For almost any science career, there will be a...good progress on both building relationships and thinking about future career options. 5. Write a grant ...Science If you have a method that you've been working on, let us know in the comments below! Additional...

...genome is 1 in every 256 base-pairs of DNA sequence, making it very useful for genetic engineering approaches...transgenic cell lines. The traditional method of making stable cell lines is to transfect, select, and ...negative impacts on fitness. One consideration when making a transgenic cell line with the piggyBac™ system...However, several challenges still remain, such as making gene edits completely seamless (i.e., so no other...piggyBac™ transposase (PBx), which contains mutations making it competent for excision, but defective for integration...containing a negative selection marker such as thymidine kinase, a researcher may subsequently kill off any cells...target sequence. This allows researchers to avoid making unnecessary base pair changes as would be the case...

...Addgene, who will be taking over the distribution to expand the network of scientists working on this even more...throw a therapeutic monkeywrench into the virus’ hijacking of human cells. Even better, more than half the...the Krogan lab's Addgene page to get notified!) Attacking coronavirus, one FedEx package at a time Since...interest, because it means more scientists will be working on this problem more quickly. Figure 2: Getting...headache receiving constant email requests and tracking their fulfillment manually in a shared spreadsheet...interested in facilitating collaborative science, and making it accessible to all people, not just scientists...

...distanced work more creative. An example could be making lab meetings more interactive and creating space...interaction and brainstorming. This could be achieved by asking each presenter to come up with a scientific question...: “Science is increasingly done in large teams, making it more likely that papers will be written by several...taste of that casual kitchen chatter, ultimately sparking new ideas. Social no-science-y meetings Set up...probably lost during these weird times of shift working and social distancing. The take home message is...are endless. Let’s adapt and embrace new ways of working, reconnect as human beings and colleagues, eventually...confidence to launch new and diverse careers by taking part in career panels, and volunteering for scientific...

...useful to anyone working in a lab.   Participating in a workshop at lab central We’re working on a project...of experimental services and expertise without breaking their bank accounts. When I heard about how LabCentral...partner for the day was Julie from Novartis who was working with cell culture and who was extremely helpful... now know what to expect at a workshop and what kinds of questions to ask myself when I am bombarded with...new without spending a lot of time developing and making space for the techniques ourselves. As you probably...should give similar workshops a try if you’re ever looking to try out a new technique or reagent! Racheal...

...projects range from hacking probiotics to filming educational lab videos, while some are looking to develop new...Biotechnology is no longer just for those working in academia or industry. At BosLab, we identify ourselves...independent Do-it-Yourself (DIY) biology laboratories working towards enabling everyone to participate in the... gene drive paper was very popular. People kept asking if we were teaching classes at the lab, so in December...That’s right, we have non-traditional scientists working in our laboratory! Don’t worry though, we make ...transformation guru and instructor for our intro to biohacking courses. Our members pursue a diverse range of...

...Review dropped a bombshell report. A scientist working in China was using CRISPR/Cas9 in an attempt to...can happen. We just have to look to the United Kingdom’s Nuffield Council. While the Nuffield Council has...tasked two separate non-governmental groups with seeking “public views on emerging IVF techniques designed...addition to thorough ethical considerations, in making sure that the research has been adequately proven...experiment on humans, and they are not remembered kindly. However, despite many headlines questioning if...otherwise, the scientific process does seem to be working. I would argue that one of the takeaways from He...whom are named Charlotte, all of whom are still working on theirpenmanship. Additional resources on the...

...everything click in my head and left me thinking: I wish I had this kind of experience earlier! After all,...biology in high school, it wasn’t until I started working in my first molecular biology lab in college that...more and more molecular biology-based activities making their way into high school classrooms, like gel... on freeze-dried, cell-free (FD-CF) components. Making proteins outside of a cell - cell free extracts...the protein in a cell-free manner. This is like taking an engine out of the car – you can still use the...cost-effective, as each one is as cheap as 10 cents, making activities designed with FD-CF reactions affordable...

...for tagging experiments and it’s already looking like it’s making a big difference. We can now look at many... an adjunct faculty member) have together been working toward this goal for years as members of the ENCyclopedia...actually use this for tagging any protein in all kinds of different assays, not just transcription factors...variations on the plasmids we’ve developed. We’re working on that, but the system is so flexible. Other investigators...Fragment from Integrated DNA technologies. Generally speaking, anyone using CRISPR/Cas9 in the lab already should...Thank you to Professors Mendenhall and Myers for speaking with us! Find the Plasmids: Plasmids for protein...

...interested in the same phosphate of your favorite kinase is a good start. Check out Joanne's Reddit AMA ...general intro until you know if the person you are talking to is really in your direct area.  Review the conference...see when your connections post. Stay in touch by liking, commenting and re-sharing their posts. LinkedIn...colleague. Recommended Reading & More: Scientist Networking: What is an Informational Interview? Crash Course...Julio Peironcely on the Thesis Whisperer "Not Networking - Building Relationships for Success" webinar... improving your networking and soft skills ... scientist networking...

...continued working for Palladian Partners remotely, but started looking for a new job because “it kinda sucked...social media manager. “I usually start out my days looking through our Twitter feeds and dealing with social...difficult pieces: “It’s probably the best.” Besides working through the tough assignments, the skills that ...include: “Listening. Evaluating evidence. Critical thinking. Being able to learn things quickly. Story telling...government, so it was a really good environment to be looking for a job.” Thanks to Susan for not only being ...

...Coaching can be an excellent tactic for scientists making a career shift or who wish to improve their current... responsibility seriously. As I make my rounds speaking at research institutions and at scientific conferences...take some research.  It helps to spend some time thinking about what your goals are for the coaching relationship...out of academia (because so many scientists are making this transition). Another coaching group is Still...Humphrey from Jobs on Toast is based in the United Kingdom and scientists there would be lucky to work with...with him.  He is also available for speaking engagements as are many of the coaches I have mentioned. I...Entropia Consulting works remotely, will travel for speaking engagements and has many areas of specialty from...

...pretty good about sticking to that. If you email us at noon and then call back at 1PM asking why you haven...Tweeting and texting, actually writing an e-mail or making a phone call is a big commitment when you’re busy...doctoral dissertations. Streamline the question asking process Having thought through the above, don’t...soon as possible!” and I always begin my responses asking for more specifics. We can help you faster if we...how long it will take to get an answer, consider asking to avoid unrealistic expectations. And finally... Eric J. Perkins...

...with different kinetic parameters. There are three GCaMP types based on their kinetics: GCaMPf (fast) ...bones and teeth. It is an enzyme co-factor, a crosslinking agent, a signaling ion, and an allosteric modulator...sensor to use for your studies, you can start by asking ‘What is the biological phenomena I want to observe... a sensor that is tuned to your parameters.   Kinetics How fast is the process you would like to monitor...jGCaMP7 and jGCaMP8 are also available with improved kinetic and sensitivity parameters. Sensitivity and Localization...to variance in sensor expression if you aren’t working with a stably integrated biosensor. Ratiometric...

...ever-growing variety of recombinase systems. Picking Ligands Picking the right ligand is also important for ...delayed and takes on the order of minutes. Studies looking at immediate effects of specific neuron firing ...blood-brain barrier.  Another consideration when picking ligands for chemogenetic studies is whether or ... are viable for translation to human patients. Picking receptors The receptor you choose is largely dependent... you to directly manipulate ion channels. When working with PSAM receptors, your impact on the cell is...Liss B, Kätzel D, Nissen W, Pekcec A (2019) Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic actions of clozapine-N-...

...governing policies are developed primarily by wishful thinking. The March for Science is about fighting scientific...postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School working on human artificial chromosomes. Montreal, QC, ...scientists, we work tirelessly in the lab where the groundbreaking research happens, sometimes forgetting how ... I was scared. I worried that, because we were speaking out against legislators and because the march ...AggleDetector on Twitter) is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, where he is trying turn a few exoplanets...it takes to complete your resume, without ever thinking that research scientist would be a career that...NIH budget were proposed. I spent a lot of time asking why. As scientists we spend years being taught ...

...localization, turnover, and trafficking, as well as organelle trafficking and dynamics (fission, fusion...light is more phototoxic to cells, most scientists working on in vivo imaging models perfer the PA-RFPs over...from a dark state to a bright fluorescent state (“kindling”), and from a bright state to a dark non-fluorescent...fluorescence usually means more photons are being emitted, making it easier to capture a clear image above background...for whole cell imaging and studying organelle trafficking. Monomeric PA-FPs are usually preferred for studying...PMC2901231. 3.Verkhusha, Vladislav V., and Alexander Sorkin. "Conversion of the monomeric red fluorescent protein...Photoactivatable GFP tagging cassettes for protein‐tracking studies in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae...

...the intensity of fluorescence signal and enables tracking of single molecules within living cells without...roles in many cellular functions, from endosomal trafficking to signaling pathways to the cell cycle. Good...different chromosomes. The advantage of having this kind of system that works in live cells is that one can...used with your own reporters to decipher their trafficking routes. This collection is now available at Addgene...indicators should possess fast voltage sensing kinetics and have no spectral overlap with the optogenetic...and an endoplasmic reticulum export motif and trafficking sequence for improved targeting to the plasma...CheRiff, exhibits high light sensitivity and fast kinetics. By combining both the voltage indicator, QuasAr...

...hardware sold by the manufacturer. Blocking solutions Your blocking options come in two categories: protein-based...make when designing a western blot.  Psst! Looking for a western blot protocol? Check out Addgene'...antibodies are relatively cheap and easy to source, making it easy to switch from one readout method to another...re running native (non-reduced) proteins or are looking to preserve specific protein modifications, we ...single-percentage gel, which is cheap and useful when you’re looking at proteins all roughly the same size, or a slightly...information. Many antibodies will have a recommended blocking buffer and a recommended concentration. That makes...greater dynamic range than chemiluminescence enzymes, making it easier to accurately visualize proteins of wildly...