Wednesday, December 17, 2008

I love Science, no really

Lately Eppendork has been using a particular technique involving total genomic DNA (useful for sizing genomes and identifying genome structures).  It takes a really, really long time to carry out and it's between one to two weeks before you get your results.  The real snotty thing about this technique is you don't know if it has worked until the end.   Using this technique has made and continues to make Eppendork feel a bit bipolar - OMG it worked and it's beautiful (seriously when it works it is just that hot), oh wow how hot am I? Oh no - (general expletives) grrrrrr - how much time have I wasted on this?  Deep breath - figure out what went wrong - if I cant identify where the problem crept in - nuke everything, scorched earth, don't pass go - start at the beginning again.  Part of the problem is the buglets I am working with at the mo take a really, really long time to grow and are superduper fastidious so starting again is not as easy as it sounds.  And then it works like perfectly and I think - that's hot,  Eppendork doesnt think she would last being bipolar without drugs.

Figure 1: Science drives me to it - honest ocifer - honest

Eppendork has also been working on another project for almost a year now - with very little in the way of sucess or results to show for it.  I hate this inability to get it to do what it should and constantly think that I could have been the original Imposter Syndrome model.  Which is why when the previously mentioned technique (which tbh Eppendork is Gold at, infact Big Sci boss has said my results are the best he has seen, ever) doesnt work because of fastidious bugs or unknown problem I feel like such a dork and think why am I doing this?  

Never mind next challenge (Phizzle Dizzle which more resembles previous MSc work) starts end of January. Eppendork is ready.  Bring it on.

E.


3 comments:

A said...

Phizzle Dizzle... I love that term!!

Grumpy, PhD said...

Um, I just saw the chocolate, and couldn't concentrate on anything else. Yum.

Anonymous said...

Heh I have that problem as well chocolate is one of the best distractions :-p and I cannot claim to thinking of the Phizzle Dizzle - that right belongs to another sprightly science lass...