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.
Category Archives: Nostalgia
In which I present my third lab lit novel, Cat Zero – out soon!
I’m pleased to announce the imminent publication of my third lab lit novel, Cat Zero, with Bitingduck Press, a science-friendly indie imprint out of Altadena, California. I have always wanted to write a story starring feline leukemia virus (FeLV), the … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Nostalgia, Work/life balance, Writing
11 Comments
In which an era ends
She was decent and hard-working. She seldom complained, even when she got herself into a jam. She witnessed my awakening as a writer, from tentative, cliché-prone beginner to confident, stripped-down wordsmith capable of earning money and book deals. She saw … Continue reading
Posted in LabLit, Nostalgia, Work/life balance, Writing
4 Comments
In which I feel a bit too old for this game sometimes
Age is a slippery thing. Most days I still feel like that tentative new PhD student, pulling 80-hour weeks at the University of Washington Health Sciences Center in Seattle. By the red glow of the safelight, I’d feed dusky rectangles … Continue reading
In which I yearn for retro lab chic
They don’t make ’em like they used to. Or at least, they don’t name ’em. Harry and I recently stumbled across this beauty when we were clearing out some of the side rooms in our new lab space. Allow me … Continue reading
Posted in Nostalgia, Silliness
13 Comments
In which we make a move
There’s a lot of change going on in my life right now, all at once. In addition to giving birth sometime in the next fortnight and needing to finish up a major piece of work-related writing before that, my lab … Continue reading
Posted in Nostalgia, The profession of science
8 Comments
In which things flow naturally forward
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
In which we make a mess of things
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
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
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
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
