Coffee Time Science: Creatures of Science

How the laboratory ecosystem works 

I sip at my 3^rd coffee. Katja and I were on alarm duty last night and were rudely awakened when the walk-in freezer went down at 2am. Nothing like the shrill sound of a beeper to wake you up with a start. I sent out the email to the institute in the feeble hope that someone might be in to check on the alarm before getting into the car. Maybe Bert¹ is in – he is ALWAYS in. I arrive at the lab, and I cannot tell you how happy I am to see Bert! By the time the technician has come in and fixed things, it’s 4am, and Bert was my trusted companion throughout. I am extremely grateful for his company.

“If the alarm had gone off before midnight, Ernie² would have taken care of it. He takes care of about 90% of the alarms as he’s always in”

Katja remarks. This gets us thinking. Labs are like ecosystems – every existing niche has its occupant, and they are all in some sort of equilibrium with each other (yes, we are nerds). Here is a list of some of the creatures of science in our particular ecosystem:

The nest builder

These creatures do not operate on schedules of day and night, or days of the week. Mentally, they are always in the lab, and physically, they are so most of the time. To the infrequent observer, they may look like regular scientists, if it weren’t for the telltale signs of laboratory nesting. First, a fridge appears in their office, oftentimes followed by the appearance of a pile of spare clothes. Toiletries such as toothpaste and deodorant are frequently found in the nester builder’s lair. In extreme cases, equipment such as sleeping bags and camp beds have been spotted, but these are generally hidden by the nest builder for fear of discovery.

The can of worms

A highly talented, rather endearing creature, who, in his or her brilliance, is unable to adhere to any rules and unwittingly creates chaos wherever he or she works as he/she pursues every scientific thought that comes to mind – of which there are many. The conundrum with this specimen is that, because they are a lovely person, and never do any of the aforementioned things with mal intent, you cannot be mad at them (for long). Without them, science would undoubtedly be more tidy, but also rather boring.

The night owl

Sometimes hard to spot, this creature will never be seen during regular working hours, but only comes out by cover or darkness, when only a few intrepid scientific explorers are afield. Most scientists have not seen many night owls with their own eyes, but do believe these creatures exist based on the evidence they leave behind: empty tip boxes, misplaced objects, full trash bins. Also, lots of data, in some cases. They remain an enigma, and their effective contribution to science remains to be determined.

The lab Impala

Like its four-legged namesake in the wild, the lab Impala is one of the most important contributors to the laboratory ecosystem. Abundant, active by day, at the bottom of the food chain, and (sadly) often underappreciated. People don’t care about Impalas when they are on safari, as they are everywhere. But without them, no other animals could exist. Lab Impalas are what keeps the lab going day to day, they try to tidy up after the can of worms, keep the nest builder’s territorial claims in check, and are the missing link between the early birds and night owls.

Have I missed any off? What creature of science are you? Share your thoughts in the thread.

¹This is not his real name, of course.

²Not his real name – you get the gist?

About me: My name is Christine, and I am currently working as a research specialist at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After my undergraduate studies in Oxford, I moved to London for my PhD and first postdoc. After 7 years in this magnificent city, I was ready for an adventure and decided to go to Boston for 2 years for a second postdoc. As love and science made me swap rainy London for alternately deep-frozen or tropical Boston, 2 years turned into 5 (and counting), and I decided to deviate from the traditional academic trajectory to work as a staff scientist (the rather fancy title of my position is research specialist). Most days, I sit with post-docs and other staff scientists over lunch or coffee, and discussion topics range from the inane to career goals and options, our research, new techniques and technology and the like. I would like to share some of those topics with you in this blog. Want to join in? Grab yourself a cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage, read along, and leave comments. You can read my other blog posts here.