I Can’t Decide: How urgent is it to know what to do in life and in science

My cousin decided to study Biology just like I did (same university, hence same program). While she wants to go on a different research subject, so far she also wants to follow an academic pathway, and so she has asked me a lot of questions to subjects I wished I knew more about when I was starting. These will be a series of posts based on that premise. Please keep in mind all these posts will be based on personal experiences

How urgent is it to know what to do in science?

Maybe the key word here is urgent. It’s not urgent to know what you want to do, is not imperative that you decide on what branch of science you’re going to work from your first year of your undergrad and you might realize that you don’t really know until very late in your studies. But it does help to narrow down your options as you go.

In my case, I knew very early that I wanted to work in a lab. However, my undergrad program was very broad, which allowed me to experience other possibilities, such as field work and even in the lab, to work a bit in microbiology, biochemistry and cell biology.  

As you advance in your studies, you will encounter more and more options; if you want to work in biochemistry you might realize later that what you are really interested in is protein interactions, and then just the interactions of one single protein, and so on. Of the biochemistry group I was part of during the end of my undergrad studies, there is one person working on Aging, one working in Evolutionary Biology, someone working on patents and then there’s me who, as you know, works in Protein Interactions.

However, it does help to start questioning early on what do you really like and maybe even where do you see yourself in the future. Knowing this it would be easier for you to decided which elective classes to take (for example, I took extra classes of Cell and Molecular Biology), which labs/research groups to try to get in, heck even which languages to work on. The reason why I re started my French classes during my undergrad was that back I knew a lot of original work had and was being done in cell biology in French (French used to be the science language also) and so I wanted to be able to read those papers. Ultimately it was extra useful since I ended up doing my graduate studies in a francophone institution

Now, bear in mind that you knowing right now that you want to work on something might not mean that you will work on it. Projects can change a lot during your research life. It might be due to funding, someone scooping you, or simply that the project is not advancing. Do not despair if this happens, as a project is only a tiny part of a bigger subject (case in point, my project aims one single protein of thousands inside one type of cell) that you could still tackle, just from a slightly different angle. 

So don’t fret if you are starting your undergrad, or even half way through and you haven’t 100% decided what you want to do in science. If you have the opportunity to sample the different options that are attractive to you, go for it. Get informed and take your time. Good luck. 


I Can't Decide--Scissor Sisters

How soon is now? When should I join a research group as an undergrad

My cousin decided to study Biology just like I did (same university, hence same program). While she wants to go on a different research subject, so far she also wants to follow an academic pathway, and so she has asked me a lot of questions to subjects I wished I knew more about when I was starting. These will be a series of posts based on that premise. Please keep in mind all these posts will be based on personal experiences.

How soon should I join a research group as an undergraduate student?

The answer as always is: it depends. If you want to go in research, I would advise that you join a research group close to you interests as soon as possible, for several reason. First of all, it can be a great experience, not only for your CV but as a personal one. Is research for you? And more importantly, is THIS type of research really for you?

What do I mean by that? Well, you might think that you want to work in biochemistry (as I did) and join a biochemistry group (which I did) and in the process discover that what you actually like of biochemistry is interactions, and end up working in protein interactions…which I did. I do not regret for one second joining that group. First of all, it introduced me to lab meetings (at 7am on a Monday, but never mind that), to lab work (racking tips and all the other not so fun parts of working on a lab) to actually doing experiments. All of these makes part of research in a lab, and while there are things that I didn’t enjoy that much, the parts that I did enjoy more than compensated for the former, which made me feel I was in the right track.

If you want to work on a branch of research that involves more field work, it might be a good thing that field work agrees with you. You might think you do, because you love camping, but as you may suspect is not the same. So for that instance joining a research team sooner than later, it’s a great way to test yourself.

Also, if your undergraduate program allows/requires you to have a thesis (like mine did) entering a group early might give you the opportunity to start working in your thesis project much earlier or at least to refine the skills you will need for it. For example, when I first joined the Biochemistry group, in early 2007 (I think) I started working with the parasite that causes malaria. As it turns out, for several reasons, including an academic exchange I did, my final project was on a different subject, but the experience I acquired with the first project was 100% transferable and by then I was much more comfortable doing what I was doing.

However, you have to keep in mind that joining a group will be demanding. You will need to invest time and energy to it. Because of this, you shouldn’t forget the rest of your undergrad classes and you should discuss this with the head of the group as well. My Biology program had a lot of classes that required field work, with some times us being in the field for up to two weeks. Normally the research groups at your university will be aware of this, but they will also expect you to find the time to work with them. So ask yourself if you do have the time and energy to not neglect either one. Keep in mind that this might be your first research reference that involves you actually working on a project. Neglecting your grades or your research would only be counterproductive to everyone.

You can also consider baby steps; ask to start coming to the group meetings for example. This would show you a bit of the interactions between the group, see the discussions and the topics that are being studied at the moment. You could do that for a trimester/semester and maybe next one start actively to work with them. There is a chance that they will just ask you to wait for next term, and that’s perfectly ok.

In all, joining a research group as soon as the rest of your obligations allow you too, is a great idea. If time permits is and you are undecided on to what field you want to go, this can be also a great way to test the waters, but I will talk more about that next time. 

How Soon is Now--The Smiths

Me and my Soapbox: Thoughts on the Santa Cruz Biotech case

If you work with antibodies, you’ve probably heard about Santa Cruz Biotech (SBC) and hence you’re probably aware by now of the storm that is carrying its name right now related to USDA violations of animal welfare. What you might not be aware of is that the company has been under investigation for over 5 years now. The first inspection pointing at problems with “veterinary care, personnel qualifications, and primary enclosures” of the animals used by the company to produce their antibodies took place back in February, 2011. 

Now, independent on your experience with the company (personally I find that their antibodies are very hit or miss and prefer to work with other companies), this situation is utterly wrong from several points of view. I will not deal with the policy violations, because I don’t have enough background on it, but I would like to discuss the animal welfare part.

As a researcher, I know that certain experiments can only be done in animal models, ranging from roundworms, to flies and up to primates. While a lot of questions can be answered in petri dishes or even with the appropriate software, there’s still a panoply of studies that would not yield the proper answer unless their hypothesis is challenged in vivo, and that’s when animal models come to play.

In the case of antibody production, there is always the possibility of recombinant antibodies which uses different organisms (like yeast) to produce the antibody, often called monoclonal antibodies. Both monoclonal and polyclonal (those produced in animals) have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the application, but at the end of the day, you might not necessarily replace one for the other. 

So, you see, this is one particular side of research that you need to use animals. However, all animal work has lists and lists of regulations. You cannot just choose any animal you want and order any number of them. Most importantly, there are regulations as to how the animals must be treated, enclosed and eventually, disposed. For example, you cannot sacrifice a primate even if your research has finished. You have to maintain the animal until the end of it’s days, meaning feeding, healthcare and proper environment. These animals, while bred exclusively for research, are supposed to be maintained appropriately and to work with them you have to present and keep a proper experimental protocol. Any research or biotech facility is supposed to adhere to a complex set of protocols. So what happened in this case? 

Once again, what worries me more than anything is the fact that it has taken 5 years for this to be investigated; 5 years when these animals were most probably mistreated to say the least; 5 years where that company most likely benefited greatly and instead of addressing the violations, resolved to make the animals vanish.

This piece of news is starting to go “mainstream” for lack of a better term, where the story has been (IMO) over simplified and closing with a dangerous “would you want to eat a medical research animal?”. For the record, some animals used in research could be apt for consumption, but that’s a different story.  Sadly, it is news like this that make people angry at research and end up with animal right groups bursting into universities and “freeing” animals…animals that were never in the wild, that are actually harmful for the local fauna. What SCB has done didn’t only hurt the lives of thousands of animals, but has also affected the image of animal research which, let’s face it, isn’t great. And now we are left with the disappearance of almost 5000 animals and a lot of “#notallanimalresearchers” conversations to come.

Have I made the right decision?

A new student arrived this week to the lab. I showed her around and for the first week or so she is expected to basically shadow all of us, learning the main techniques that we use.  Just like me, she is a foreign student, coming from a much kinder weather (I am looking at you negative-double-digit temperatures!) and with no family here. It was heartbreaking for me when at the end of the first day she asked me: Do you think I made the right decision coming here?

In academia, we are encouraged to go do every degree in a different institution and if it can be in another country, it might be deemed even better, since you will learn not only different techniques but different ways of living. As my family put it when I left Colombia “it is easier to do this when you are young because you are still very adaptable” … And still what no one seems to talk about is that sinking feeling of knowing if you made a huge mistake.

To move here I had to go to a lot of hoops, just to get my visa and study permit, a process I had to repeat at least 3 times in my almost 7 years living in Canada, without counting the process of residency. Being in Colombia I sold or gave away almost all of my stuff, I said goodbye to ALL my family and friends left with two 23kg suitcases. I was excited and terrified. I was moving to a new country, going to work on a lab that mainly worked on my 3^rd language and I had never before looked for an apartment on my own. My first crisis came about 2 weeks in, when I made a fairly silly mistake but my confidence plummeted and as it so happened I hadn’t had the time to re built a support net…that night, in my apartment, I cried.

As a foreign student, or even a someone who would’ve moved across the country, you are put in a position where all you want is to have those who have always been there for you (be it family or friends, or both) but when you finally get to talk to them, it’s extremely hard to say anything to them. You don’t want to make them worry. People, I am telling you, besides the long hours and the frustration that come to ANYONE in science, the hardest part for me has been being away from my family.

So when this new girl asked me that I told her the truth: I cannot answer that to you, all I can say is that it has been hard, but I would do it again. To be fair, she is mostly afraid of not being up to level, which if you ask me, is a good fear because 1) means she cares, and 2) is probably a sign she will do her darn best to catch up. But behind that fear, I know there is the “what if I left everything behind for nothing”.

I’ve mentioned some tips on how to choose a lab but besides the institution or the lab’s reputation there is something that you should always consider and it is yourself. How comfortable are you in a completely foreign environment? You might realize that there is comfort in being in the lab itself when thing become mechanic, but what about when you are out of the lab, or just not doing an experiment? If your family is very far away and you know you will need to see them at least once a year, take that into consideration: is your pay going to be enough to cover yearly travelling? Is the type of research your envisioning, flexible enough to allow for you to take more than 2 weeks off? A former student at the lab always took a month, because getting to her family alone would take more than a week of changing planes and buses. Are you comfortable enough with the local language/culture to have a life outside the lab? How long is the program you are considering and what is the mean length of it in the lab you are going to (in our institute a PhD is supposed to be a 4yr program, but the reality is the mean length of this specific program is 5+yrs).

Is it worth it? You will only know with time. I was extremely lucky with my master’s project, results wise, and even luckier to be have found great friends and in-law family here, which helped with the fact that my PhD proved being more taxing than I expected. But I’ve learned a lot because of my decision to move here. About me, about science, about academia. So as I told the new student: I would do it again. It has been hard in a lot of levels, but I would still do it again.  

What other considerations did you take into account when (if) you moved to a different country for your studies?