About Jenny
By day: cell biologist at UCL. By night: novelist, broadcaster, science writer, sci-lit-art pundit, blogger and Editor of LabLit.com. I blog about my life in science, not the facts and figures.
Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn
In which we’d like to acknowledge what’s-his-name
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
In which necessity’s a MoFo
Reality check and status update: I’m still a lab head, and I’m still poor. But after knocking around in this new position for nearly three months, I have to admit that it’s rather good fun being poor. When you lack … Continue reading
Posted in Scientific method, Silliness
16 Comments
In which we’re too close for comfort
It was always going to be a difficult relationship. We knew from the very start that they weren’t very well-suited. After all, they came from such different backgrounds. They were used to such radically different environments. They scarcely even spoke … Continue reading
Posted in Scientific method, The profession of science
8 Comments
In which I object
I’ve just written to my MP, Simon Hughes (Liberal Democrat, Bermondsey and Old Southwark), airing my feelings about the Government’s hasty and ill-advised bill to track email, web and Skype communications of any citizen without just cause. A copy of … Continue reading
In which the light bulb’s on the other foot
Following on from a discussion about light bulb changing jokes, I was bustling around my lab this morning, getting ready to cryogenically preserve some backups of my new bladder epithelial cell line. I was all set: I’d ordered the Mr … Continue reading
In which truths are revealed
There are many things I love passionately about science, but one aspect has got to be right up there in the top ten: the transformation of a deep unknown into perfect clarity. I find it amazing that using simple lab … Continue reading
In which I ponder the new Two Cultures
Given the recent trendiness of science/art/lit projects, and the grant money and audience interest they can pull in, CP Snow’s notion of ‘the Two Cultures’ is starting to feel a little bit antiquated. But I do sometimes wonder if a … Continue reading
Posted in Science journalism, The profession of science, Writing
2 Comments
In which they don’t make ’em like they used to
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
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 move on
I have always been fascinated by microorganisms and the many strategies they use to subvert the host cells that they parasitize. For me, the most interesting aspect of infection is the interface between the invader and its victim – the … Continue reading
Posted in Careers, The profession of science
17 Comments
