Category Archives: Nostalgia

In which things flow naturally forward

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

I’ve been pondering the impermanence of things lately. Maybe it all started with the departure of a well-liked clinical researcher from our lab, an OB/GYN with a sense of the absurd who never failed to make us laugh. Now when … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Nostalgia, Staring into the abyss, The profession of science | 8 Comments

In which we make a mess of things

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

As a rule, when I’m trying to be creative, I have a hard time focusing if my workspace is not pristine and well-ordered. This holds true whether I’m working on a novel at my desk or performing an experiment on … Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, Scientific method, Silliness | 6 Comments

In which I get my mojo back

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Jennifer Rohn

So 2012 has drawn to a close, a new year is upon us and London’s seemingly endless broodiness gave way to brilliant sunshine today. Out in our local park this morning, strewn with spent fireworks and empty Champagne bottles, unusually … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Nostalgia, Writing | 5 Comments

In which a classic tale of DNA and discovery is recast

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

As for many people in the molecular biology profession, my first reading of The Double Helix by James Watson was a revelation. I can’t recall how old I was – probably in my late teens. I had already decided I … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Nostalgia, The profession of science, Women in science, Writing | 6 Comments

In which I am not worthy

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

I am still pinching myself. The good folks from the Edinburgh Book Festival have invited me to get up on stage with one of my favorite authors, Neal Stephenson, to discuss the importance of science fiction on science fact. The … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Nostalgia, Science fiction, Writing | 8 Comments

In which we’d like to acknowledge what’s-his-name

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

It is human nature to feel that you’re at the center of the universe, with all of life and experience revolving around your fixed point of view like a lazy orbit of galaxies. On a larger scale, this biased perspective … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Nostalgia, Scientific thinking, The profession of science | 41 Comments

In which they don’t make ‘em like they used to

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

Even though I initially trained as a virologist, it’s a little known factoid that I did my PhD in an old-fashioned Microbiology department – back in the days when “microbiology” really meant “bacteria”. We virologists populated a small unfashionable pocket … Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, The profession of science | 30 Comments

In which I sort it out

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

All of my professional life, I’ve worked in affluent labs – in academic groups bolstered by multiple sources of grant money, or in a biotech setting flush with investor capital. More recently, I’ve enjoyed a generous personal consumables budget courtesy … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Nostalgia, The profession of science | 24 Comments

In which I question the 24/7 lab mentality

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Is there a strong correlation between the number of hours you are physically present in a lab and the pace and success of your project? The furore over Nature’s 24/7 lab feature, published a few weeks ago, is still sending … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, Nostalgia, Scientific thinking, The profession of science | 46 Comments

In which I salute the pioneers

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Cell and molecular biology is a bit of a dark art. The way we perform our experiments has been passed down from generation to generation in sacred texts known as “protocols”. Like any recipe used and abused by generations of … Continue reading →

Posted in Nostalgia, Scientific method, Scientific thinking, The profession of science | 28 Comments