My favourite things to do in the lab

My intention was to keep this blog updated with everything I’ve done in the past few months of photosynthesis research. I’ve been so busy that I’ve neglected my writing. There have been plenty funny stories of lab antics to tell y’all, as well as scientific intrigues.

To summarise: I’ve been working on some genetic manipulation of biosynthesis pathways, but after Christmas I get to do some structural work. I am a chemist in a biologist’s world.

Here’s a list of some of my favourite things I’ve done so far:

• Making up solutions. If I have to make up a 10mM solution of EDTA, well I am the most content chicken in the world. My lab has no volumetric flasks though. It’s all measuring cylinders. What’s up with that?
• Loading PCR samples onto an agarose gel. It’s SO FUN filling those wells. The smaller the wells the funnerer it gets.
• 1.5 ml Eppendorfs. What a brilliant name for fantastically useful little tubes. Ditto “bijoux”, which are another type of tube. How dainty.
• I’ve just started some protein purification for some membrane protein crystallization trials, I am SO excited.
• Analyzing data. Maths is so clean compared to smelly Rhodobacter flying around the room.
• Creating sucrose density gradients. The theory that the less dense layers should chillax at the top and the densest layer mulches around at the bottom actually works in practice.  Isn’t that fun?
• Snap freezing cells in liquid nitrogen. Makes me cackle with sinister glee.
• Coming out of working in the green room and seeing everything as pink for a while.

I’m sure I’ll add more in future.