Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn

About Jennifer Rohn

Scientist, novelist, rock chick

In which I ponder the new Two Cultures

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

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

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 move on

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

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

In which I offer one little reason

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

A certain impending – and exciting – move has left me with no time to blog. Tomorrow is my last day, and after a week of holiday, I’ll be flying North (but only about 3 km) to start up a … Continue reading →

Posted in Careers, The profession of science | 22 Comments

In which not much is left to the imagination

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Jennifer Rohn

Here’s a sign I snapped during my post-Christmas holiday in Yorkshire. Can you spot what’s wrong with it? It is a classic example of a violation of a rule that fiction writers refer to as “Show, Not Tell”. What it … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | 16 Comments

In which we are the last man standing

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

You know it’s the last day before Christmas break when: 1. All of the communal microscopes are free, so you can run lots of parallel experiments. 2. Whenever you enter a room or corridor, the automatic lights flicker on. 3. … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness, The profession of science | 4 Comments

In which we down a few

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

It seems like only yesterday that Nature Network, in what struck me as a bizarre fit of misplaced paranoia and pettiness, locked some of its most popular bloggers out of their own sites, preventing them from posting their own farewell … Continue reading →

Posted in Silliness | 14 Comments

In which I long to curl up with a good book

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

‘Tis the season when colleagues start discreetly disappearing from the lab, only to return a few hours later laden with shopping bags from Oxford Street. There is a run on discarded boxes and packing peanuts in the store room, and … Continue reading →

Posted in LabLit, Writing | 23 Comments

In which signaling takes the cake

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Jennifer Rohn

Champagne in plastic cups after a successful PhD viva is still a classic, but you don’t often see labmates getting together to recreate one of your prettiest thesis figures in cake format. Congratulations, James!

Posted in Silliness, The profession of science | 9 Comments