There are lot of horrible stories of lab accidents on the internet: researcher dies when handling tert-butyl lithium, researcher is severely injured when synthesizing energetic materials, researcher loses arm when combining hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen gases from high-pressure cylinders. The list goes on. Read more
Wherever you are in research, chances are you’ll encounter some degree of lab conflict during your career. Read more
When I was looking for a PhD lab I had a pretty clear idea of the techniques I wanted to learn and master, and, essentially, I thought that was everything I needed to worry about. But the right PhD training is crucial to establish a good foundation for what comes next – either a job in industry, a postdoc in academia, or something away from the bench. Choosing the right lab is important, and there are considerations beyond gaining specific technical skills that need to be mulled over before making a decision. If I were to start another PhD, this is what I would look for: … Read more
Scientists in Qatar have taken research into organ development one more step into the future by expanding the potential for creating personalized blood and heart tissue in the lab. Read more
By bringing together experts from different disciplines we can find the solutions for today’s global challenges. Having spent a year in a multidisciplinary research group, Mit Bhavsar shares his thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of multidisciplinary research in science. Read more
Guest contributor Andy Tay … Read more
Since childhood, Karla Terrazas has wanted to be a teacher. While an undergraduate at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), she tutored students in maths. “I like maths, and I enjoyed helping them like it, too,” she says. During her senior year at UTSA, when she was an undergraduate summer intern in the lab of developmental biologist Marianne Bronner, PhD, at Caltech in Pasadena, California, Terrazas became intrigued with experimental science. Read more
Early career scientists are often told that networking is important for future career prospects and mobility. Often, this comes in the form of a nudge to attend university seminars, events for local scientific professionals or national conferences. These are typically great for meeting scientists working in your city or country – but developing an international network can often be much more difficult. First, scientists are most often around others working at their university or research centre, making this their primary network. Second, travel to attend international conferences may be cost-prohibitive, especially for early career scientists. Finally, connecting with colleagues outside of the country may not be on the radar of students and postdocs, or may seem overwhelming at that stage of a scientific career. Read more
I’ve always been fascinated with medical research, which brought me from Ahmedabad, India, to Frankfurt (via Aachen, Düsseldorf and Göttingen) to pursue a Masters and a PhD in neuroscience. Germany boasts an excellent research ecosystem across the private and public sectors, with strong collaboration between each. Consequently, there are attractive career opportunities for local and international researchers, especially in a world where two of the west’s other major research hubs – the UK and the US – appear to be trending against science, evidence, and intellectualism. Having spent seven years here, this is what you need to know about research in Germany. Read more
Whether you’re starting a PhD fresh out of undergrad or after many years of employment, the decision to begin a doctorate is a significant career move. When I started, 18 months ago, I figured I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into: I’d previously worked in industry, completed a Master’s degree, and worked as a research assistant in another lab. Read more
