How do I lab thee

A vision, you came

A fancy, a wish

And I knew I lab thee from the very start

Affection that sprouted even before the first sight.

I chased thee

I run after thee

And I will continue to pursue thee

Just because I lab thee.

My fairytale

My love story

My dream come true

And I lab thee faithfully.

You give me a thrill,

Goosebumps all over my body

My mystery, my hocus pocus,

Like a ghost in the night

And still, I lab thee.

Sometimes you hurt me

And frustrate me

Wrong signals, you give me

Confusion, you clothe me

I lab thee anyway.

Sleepless nights,

Messed up body clock,

Caffeine-intoxicated,

These you cause me

But I lab thee anyway.

I will not give up, I will just shut up

I sing songs for thee, I dance for thee

I weep because of thee, But I will fight for thee

Just remember how much I lab thee.

A lab through the lens

I had the opportunity to visit the SOL group in the Laboratory of Phytopathology in Wageningen University and Research Center last April 5th.  My colleagues went there for some technical inquiry on Cladosporium infection of tomato plants.  Meanwhile, I was there for my amusement- equipped and ready to document it with my camera.   I entertained myself with some snapshots of common laboratory stuff.  Turned out the lab is a good place to photograph!  I will definitely do this sometime soon in my laboratory. 😀

This next photo was mistakenly recognized as lab stools in a thumbnail view by my labmate.

I think this shot of the eppendorf tube rack makes a good powerpoint presentation background.  Yes, I know. This is the nerd in me talking. Bear with it, please.

Can you guess what this funny looking chef doing in the lab?

My take home from The Netherlands

I, together with my labmates went to The Netherlands last Monday and Tuesday to attend the Dutch Plant Science Meeting in Lunteren. It was my first trip outside Germany which adds up to my excitement. We started on a car from Max Planck at 07:00 and arrived at the De Werelt Hall at about 09:00.

It was a full 2-day conference- some talks are very nice and interesting. Most are very informative. We listened and learned from the “stories” of other scientists- their projects, their methodologies and their strategies in coming up with their scientific produce.  And this makes me wonder about my project and how I would author my very own story. This, for the next 3 years or so, is the goal to achieve.

It was also intriguing how scientists behave and act. It mostly is about “how to do science” really. And how to survive in this scientific world.  To make a name, to be recognized, to be accepted by the community, and as noble as it is, to make a contribution to the never-ending world of discoveries, innovations, and inventions.

This got me thinking, am I really for this?

Do I have a room for breakthroughs and scientific bonanza?  I am not good enough- this is what I’ve always believe.  And will never be, I guess. The future in this world is still fuzzy. I still can not  see through it.  But somehow… somehow God put me here and I enjoy being here.  So perhaps, this is really is the place to be.

So rather contemplate on things, I reveled on it. I took pleasure on being here. I took pride on being privileged to be here. And I  delighted on being favored by the most high God that He poured overflowing blessings on me.

My take homes from this trip are:

1.  My boss is great!  It was my first time to see him present, and oh boy!  he rocked the center stage.  That was a speaker up there. Plus, the very interesting technology he pioneered in plant science.

2. I was inspired big time by all the presentor’s stories and is now dreaming of being a presentor too, one day.

3. Learned that Dutch gets cold lunch of cheese and bread.  While the dinner is protein-rich and warm.

4. Got a taste of my first Dutch beer, generously sponsored by the boss.

5. I saw the giants! 😛  They are really tall. Almost had a stiff neck after talking for almost half hour with two Dutch guys.  They say it’s in the milk. Apparently, I had had too little milk to drink when I was little.  No. I take that back. I am still little.  Hmmm…. when I was younger.  Now that’s more appropriate. *sigh*

5. I fell in love at the first sight of The Netherlands. The scenery at least in Lunteren is captivating.  That is my kind of place- vast greenery, country houses, wide yards, the gardens, the barns, the horses, and oh! the smell :P.  The misty feel of the place early morning upon our arrival added up to the mystic mood and fairytale touch.

6. Not to forget the scientific take homes, of course. Well, it’s just surprising to be hearing a lot about comparative genetics, evolution, and next generation sequencing! Hmmm… perhaps the next generation sequencing is not surprising after all.

7. Papers and awards makes one scientifically more attractive. But I must add, scientifically more attractive, may even mean physically more appealing.  Well, at least for me!

On our way to The Netherlands, thanks Mr. Navigator!

De Werelt, Lunteren, where the meeting was held

That's my boss doing his presentation.

The poster hall

Time for the infamous Dutch lunch

Dutch "cold" lunch of bread, cheese, and salad

We also did a bonus side trip to Wageningen University.  We toured the Laboratory of Phytopathology, greenhouses, the SOL lab, and took lots of pictures!

In different flavours

The plant chemetics laboratory had an international dinner party on a Thursday night in one of the member’s home.  It is a potluck party where everyone brings his or her own national dish to the table and everybody gets a taste of different cultural cuisine. This is particularly special as our team is very international- no two people are from the same country! We are composed of a Dutch, German/Iranian, Colombian, Indian, Pakistan, Chinese, Japanese and a Filipino!

And for me, this is just one of the best part of being in a multicultural world.  Science, fortunately, offers this unique setting where people of different backgrounds come together to do science, for the sake of science. The Max Planck Society especially recruits the best from around the world. (And exceptionally encourage women scientists!).  Now that’s a great bonus to be here!

I used to organizing similar “international” dinner back in Taiwan too.  I love meeting people of different nationalities and learning the differences, as well as similarities across different cultural grounds. I specially love sampling different cuisines, tickling my taste buds with different flavors, and learning different ways of preparing food.

Aside from the fantastic food served on the table, we also had a good long funny conversations and smart talks over dinner.  We ate, and laughed, and drunk, and talked, and ate, and giggled, and photographed, and teased each other, and ate, and drunk, and ate for over 5 hours!

The dinner was a blast!  It was a dinner to remember, indeed!

Typical German apple pie

Dutch (cheese) finger food

German meat patty

Colombian coconut rice

Chinese shrimp dish cooked in wine

Indian butter masala

Colombian guayabana drink

Japanese cookies

Bread. I think this is common to many cultures...

Since I was consumed by the fabulous dishes (or I consumed these fabulous foods? :P), I forgot to take photos of the others, including my pineapple chicken 😀

So, till next  gluttonous dinner!

Ah, beat a retreat!

The IMPRS PhD program in the Max Planck Institute holds a retreat once a year, attended by all the students as well as the supervisors/teachers. And March 28-30, 2011 was my first retreat. It was held at Hotel Nassau Oranien in Hadamar.

I do not know what to expect. But I know that I need to give a 20-minute talk or presentation about my project.  Every student should. And we will do this for the next 3 days.  It does not sound a lot of fun, does it? Nevertheless, I was excited.  The week before the said retreat, I was already looking forward to it, even though I was not prepared for my talk until the very last night before my presentation.  I was scheduled to present on the last day, so I thought, I still have some time to prepare during the retreat itself.

I was excited.  To take pictures, what else? (!).  I just bought this new camera just in time for my retreat. And hell yeah!  I  made myself lots of pictures.  And beautiful photography it was!  (more photos can be seen here!)

Aside from my photography, I actually enjoyed the talks given by my classmates.  I admired them for the work they have done.  I admired me, for getting myself into such a beautiful PhD program.  And I praise and thank God for this wonderful opportunity He has given me.

I learned a lot from my classmates’ presentations. I enjoyed the discussions and exchange of ideas after every talk.  I embraced the opportunity to interact with the professors and scientists. I delighted in smart talks with beautiful smart people of our very own scientific community. I savored the meals (specially the fish and sea food dishes) served at our hotel. I celebrated the visit to the lovely town of Hadamar. And I cherished the bonding times with my mates.

And so, until the next retreat!

Lure me into the PhD world

 

 

The path to becoming a scientist

Wow, I actually survived the first retreat!  Thank God.

Although I have not gotten over the hang of it, today is “back-to-work” day.  I have to admit I somehow missed the lab and my labmates. Seriously. That should not come as a surprise actually.

So as much as I want to share and write about my experiences during the retreat, I do not have much time to do so at the moment.  I need to be back to the lab remember?  Nevertheless,  I will show you some snapshots I took during the retreat.  I think pictures speak louder than words. So enjoy the photos as much as I did enjoy taking and admiring them!  May these photos lure you into our world.  So go on, come on in, and maybe, just maybe, you can join us in our travel into the PhD world!  It can be fun, you know? Believe me, please.

I will post some more retreat stuff this weekend. I promise.

The first Arabidopsis plant seen during the retreat. Thanks to Maarten 😀

Parasitic plants growing on tree branches; that looks like bird nests from afar. Interesting?

I've learned that hotels here in Germany, perhaps especially in religious regions, provide bibles in every room.

The view from our hotel room- the big mansion on the left is a private music boarding school for boys.

The conference hall on the second day of the retreat

"Time for coffee- Do stupid things faster with more energy" 😀

Caffeine is a regular part of the PhD life, at least for me.

A picturesque view of the small lovely town of Hadamar

Lovely Hadamar

Ah... the sound of dripping water!

A church on a hill

On the church wall

Stained church window in black and white

The city hall of Hadamar at 10 minutes before 18:00 in the evening

The PhDs on their walk looking around admiring the city

When lab runs dry

Been wanting to write a review for the manuscript R gave me, but I can’t.

Damn it. I just can’t.

 

I am not into it just now.

I don’t know.

My heart’s not in it.

 

So I listen to this song instead.

Perhaps scientists need inspiration to get going?

 

A little bit of art in life?

A good song might do.

i LAB humor

 

Stop complaining and shut your mouth up!

It was a long full day in the lab packed with experiments, lab meeting, and junkfood from the Rosenmontag celebration yesterday. By early afternoon I was already tired, and feeling hungry even just an hour past lunch time. While setting up my western blot, I complained as I always do.

 

“I´m hungry.”

“I´m tired.”

“I´m sleepy.”

 

T. heard me and said “Those are the words of a woman in her late pregnancy period with her big protruding belly.”

 

I kept my mouth shut the rest of the day.

 

 

It’s Karneval time!

The Karneval season has been started today. Where people dress up in every costume imaginable, drink like there’s no tomorrow, party until the wee hours, and do every possible things conceived.  This season, also known as the “fifth” season of the year, is a crazy season.  This is according to what I have heard (and read) so far.

 

I am experiencing this for the first time and I am glad Cologne and its people has not failed me (yet).  It has managed to cope with my expectations and I am anticipating more of this “craziness” for the next days to come.

 

The institute had catered a mini Karneval party today at 11:11. Interesting costumes coloured and flavoured the campus. The scientists dressed up! Hoooray! I was not quite sure how a Karneval party is gonna be like in a science community like ours until I saw the scientists proudly staging their creative costumes!  This is enlightening and I am proud of my very own scientific community here.  Germany has held up its name, well, at least for me!  (Fun and carefree is what I define Germany.)

A scientist, to be or not to be

The woman scientist

Call me a SCIENTIST.

This is what I do. This is what I like to do. This is what defines me. This is what I do best. Does not necessarily mean that I am a GOOD scientist. No, I am NOT. At least not YET.

The life of a budding scientist is FUN. A little exciting. A lot more frustrating. Full of anxiety. Overflowing with uncertainty. And loaded with reproach. Like a lab rat´s. Subject to constant experimentation and a lot of thinking. Not necessarily research related thinking. It is actually more of a how-to-live-life kind of thinking. In fact, I am constantly confronted with when-does-life-begin kind of questions.

But yeah! It is fun! It is a LEARNING process. An education. A TRAINING.

And I highly encourage you to indulge in science. And in math. I do like to recommend that parents expose their children to early scientific endeavors. Take a day trip to a museum. Or a zoo. Watch Discovery channel or national geographic.

It is fun. Really.

Scientists can be the coolest! Don’t they look peppy on their lab coats? They are one of the most respected personalities in academic institutions and in multi-million dollar agricultural and biomedical companies around the world. People look up to them. People actually believe them. So don’t you wanna be one of them?

This may sound a lot of fun, but wait. Let’s take a look at the behind the scenes of becoming a scientist. So what does it take to be a hard core scientist?!

First of all, hard work. You must be dedicated and focused. (Get focused alright! Not facebooking!) You do not have to be smart. But you really have to work hard. Success is dependent on effort (and sometimes on luck).

You have to be charming. And a good salesman. You should be persuasive and persistent. If you are eloquent, then that´s a plus. This is needed because you have to get funds. The lab is one of the most expensive places you can ever think of. Thousands of dollars can be spent on a single day. But this is not my problem for now. This is my boss´s job. 😛

You should be friendly too. And be able to work with a team. Scientists need to work with one another. Work together. Help each other. Science is unlike business. It is not about competition really. You only got each other. You speak the same language, and it is only you who understand each other. And especially for young scientists, you need to establish connections. So why not try to smile a little bit more?

Resistant. Or get immuned! If you know what I mean…

Resistant to and be able to work under extreme conditions. One time in my previous lab, the air-conditioning shut down. It was the height of summer. No electric fans are allowed as this will result to contamination of samples with dirt and dust being flown into the air. With the lab gown on and gloves on, it was like hell. And when you are handling proteins, the need for a cold room is apparent. Shifting back and forth from 37 degrees C to 4 degrees C is a big sh*t! To say that that is terrible is an understatement. But when you are paid to work, you have to work. Work in extreme conditions that is.

If you can, try hard to develop immunity. The lab is one of the most dangerous places you can ever be. So develop immunity to all the harmful chemicals and reagents you are handling everyday, be extra careful with everything you do, and be a freak, if that will help you at all.

Speed eating. Stretch-bladder-stretch. And automatic reset. These are some of the most useful features too!

Messed up body clock is not uncommon among lab rats. Most often you won´t be able to eat, pee, and sleep on time. Not regularly. You tend to develop faulty sleeping habits that will automatically turn on during seminars and conferences while it is almost always off during the wee hours. You also develop unhealthy eating habits. You crave for caffeine and MSG loaded instant noodles all the time.

When working in the lab, eat when you have time to eat, pee when you have time to pee. And do it fast! I probably can win an eating contest if I must! Hmmm.. May be that´s not a bad idea. I can even put it on my CV as a talent, don´t you think?

So now I ask, do you have what it takes to be scientist? Before you answer YES, put in mind that scientists are often tagged as WEIRD. And when that happens, you must be proud to say “Hell yeah, I´m a scientist. I´m supposed to be weird.”

J.

 

(The picture of the woman scientist isn´t mine. I got it somewhere from the web.)