Author Archives: Jennifer Rohn

Day Three in the lab at Heidelberg, and the pace is brisk and relentless. After a few minor set-backs, we are now knee deep into rearraying my siRNA library onto glass chips, which will take a good chunk of several … Continue reading →

I have just arrived in Heidelberg for my month-long sabbatical at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, following up on the groundwork I laid when I was last here in February 2008. Although London is not far away as the Airbus … Continue reading →

When I was an undergraduate starting out on my Biology major, I didn’t have any preconceived notions about what branch of the life sciences I might ultimately favor. Oberlin College offered only a liberal arts degree in Biology – not … Continue reading →

I always associate Easter with the resurrection of flowering life. Although the holiday is early this year, our garden and woods are already full of birdsong and blossoms – cherry and apple, sloe and hawthorn, cowslips and coltsfoot. Sadly, this … Continue reading →

My London home is often a temporary resting spot for itinerant scientists and literary types, and this past week it has been graced with the presence of a certain house-hunting Nature Network denizen. Although the search for an abode can … Continue reading →

Do scientists get less effective as they get older? The urban myth would have us believe that creativity is a thing of youth – physicists and mathematicians in particular are said to be past it by the time they reach … Continue reading →

There are many who believe that science fiction is more than just a source of entertainment: it can actually change the world. If you’ve ever wondered just how inspirational science fiction has been and continues to be to the real … Continue reading →

Novels about scientists going about their profession are rare, and over the past five years I’ve been busy trying to find them all, both hard-core lab lit (where what scientists do is central to the plot and the science isn’t … Continue reading →

With springtime weather filling London with the scent of flowers and friskiness, it’s never been a more auspicious time to jump onto the Geek Chic wagon. And what better way to attract the attention of that sexy post-doc down the … Continue reading →

My loyal readers may have noticed that Mind the Gap was silent on the topic of Darwin this year. I have nothing against the man, and admire his work as much as the next girl. I suspect, however, that there … Continue reading →