In The Molecules

One thing that i'm having to get used to with my job here is the amount of molecular biology involved. Now, it's something I learnt the principles and practices of as part of my first degree - but hadn't actually done any of for quite some time (well, about 6 years in total) and so am having to pretty much learn it all from the ground up again. The trouble is that it's so damn slow and time consuming that it can be immensely frustrating when you want to do a series of experiments but you first have to do lots of preliminary molecular biology work to check that all the components you have are correct, work properly and are specific - and then have to validate some of them as well - so it ends up being a good six weeks before you even get to start the experiments proper. On top of all that, when it comes to ordering the components, because things have to be ultra-pure and (obviously) not contaminated or anything, then it takes a good two weeks on top of everything else to get them in your hand (so to speak). Bottom line is: You have to think ahead. Far far ahead.

Thankfully, on hand in the lab is Patrick - an expert in all things molecular biology - and also someone who doesn't mind when I go begging for him to give me a helping hand in learning some of the protocols. Also, fortunately, a lot of things come in manufactured kits and once the basic procedure is learnt, it's a matter of following it again and again, as required (a lot of science is repetition anyway so that doesn't matter). Finally, a major plus of molecular biology is that more often than not, the answer you get after all these procedures is a straight yes or no - with no requirement for interpretation of what you're seeing. So, as will all things, the pluses and minuses tend to balance each other out somewhat. And, I can also be positive about the fact that it's another string to my bow - a wide technical experience is definitely a plus. I guess i'll just have to learn a bit more patience - who's laughing at the back???