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: Scientific thinking
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 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 embark on one last hurrah
So, there is life after a high-throughput screen after all. As the dust settles after publication of my big screen in the Journal of Cell Biology, I’ve been thinking back on the last four years of my lab life and … Continue reading
Posted in Careers, Scientific thinking
13 Comments
In which I question the 24/7 lab mentality
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
In which I salute the pioneers
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
In which I seek the evidence – and ideas
A post I initially wrote about the consequences of putting arbitrary sell-by dates on post-docs seeking fellowships has been rebutted by my esteemed OT colleague Athene Donald. It’s an interesting post and I encourage people to have a look at … Continue reading
In which science kicks caterpillar ass, and other tales
Sometimes I can go an entire day without seeing most of my fellow lab mates. I’ve been stuck at the computer in my office recently; various other colleagues are holed up in faraway microscope rooms or sequestered in the Fly … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening, Scientific thinking
7 Comments
In which I ponder the power of perspective
Whenever you stick your head above the parapet and express a strong opinion in a high-profile venue, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll receive a large number of emails in response. Most of the follow-up I receive tends to be from … Continue reading
