PerspectivesAre you interested in submitting a Perspective Article? Be sure to read The Science Advisory Board's Editorial Guides for Perspective Articles. Click here. My Thoughts About Balancing Time for Research and Learning About New Techniques and Reagents by Bill Hosker
I am near the end of the second year of a PhD, working in the area of Type 1 diabetes mellitus pathogenesis. Specifically, we are researching the effect of reactive species on cell signalling leading to apoptosis in beta cells. Because of the type of research we are involved in, there are three subject areas we need to be aware of apoptosis detection, signal transduction (e.g., inhibitors), and reactive species donation and detection. I find myself being quite 'bipolar' about the time spent doing research and getting results. Sometimes I panic thinking, "Oh my god, I haven't done enough, everything is going wrong," and sometimes I think things are going fine. I am beginning to feel slightly greater pressure to produce more data having passed the half way mark to my PhD. This said, the experience of the last two years or so has made me more relaxed toward the often-sporadic achievement of obtaining data. In addition to learning about new techniques and reagents, I am still taking time away from getting results to learn and practise established methods. At the moment I am trying to master SDS PAGE and Western blotting. The time I take to learn a new technique or how to use a new reagent can be split into the following categories. Finding new method This can be an active, specific and time consuming process, involving looking through catalogues or papers trying to find something specific. Alternatively, it can be a passive, serendipitous process where I stumble upon a new method or technique, while browsing a leaflet, a paper or when looking at a poster at a meeting. Checking method Time spent researching the principles behind the technique to consider if there are any obvious reasons why it would not work in the experimental environment that we use. Does the product do what it said it would do in the catalogue? Changing variables If there are any contraindications between the environment(s) the method was originally used in and our own, it takes time to try and overcome any problems. Time spent to optimise sensitivity also fits into this category. Although not productive with respect to collecting data, developing techniques can not only be very satisfying (if or when it works) but it can also be essential in terms of preventing wasted time later on. A new method can not only save time, but also shed new light on our area of research, changing the direction of research or preventing the performing of -- what may turn out to be -- flawed experiments. I find that reading the literature to find new techniques or reagents itself is not too time consuming. It does not take long to flick through leaflets sent from the many companies that have my address and neither does going to the library to find papers. It is the dillying and dallying around, changing variables to get a technique or reagent to work for our conditions that is the most tedious process. A recent example in our own work (I will spare you the details) is a chemical technique we found in a 1958 paper. There had been several variations to it, but none were representative of the biochemical and biomedical environment we use, which involves culture media. The time taken to find references, read them and check that the physical chemistry behind key reactions will still be valid in our experimental environment was negligible compared to the time taken to change steps, increase an incubation time here, or decrease a concentration there. The time taken to change variables did take away from real work, but the results gave us a new focus (i.e., a possible reason for the effects we had previously observed), not a change in direction. In this example, our efforts turned out to be a worthwhile investment of time, but there is another example, which we are currently working on that so far has not been at all productive. If it were to work (and I really want it to) it would be of significant value to us but it will not, no matter how much I want it to! We are running out of variables to change, but I still keep telling myself, "Just one more attempt." When should I give up? It does detract from real work. This current addiction of mine was started, like so many addictions, because I got a free sample from a dealer (Flowgen). I should point out that the product is fine; it is my attempt to try and use it for something it was not designed for which has so far resulted in failure. When we received the freebie, I could not wait to try out our idea and I immediately did. It failed. So we tried altering variables, dallying, but still no success. Now I am hooked. I liked the sample, the product worked but not in the way I wanted…well not yet anyway. Like an addict I went back to the dealer -- having to pay this time -- desperate to get a new tool for our research and to feel that high of satisfaction. It is the subject of samples (free or otherwise) that brings me to my main point in this perspective. For me, what we do is half work, half hobby and all life. I passionately enjoy what I do and as such, time is not as limited as it may be for others. The limiting step (to use kinetic parlance) is not time but money. It (or the lack of it) restricts what we do and how we do it. When looking for new methods of assessing apoptosis or ways of detecting reactive species, the question at the top of our minds is not, "How long will it take to master this?" but "How much? Can we afford it?" We cannot afford to spend a lot of money on something that may not work with our cells in our system. Sample packs are brilliant, they allow you to have a go without having to commit a large proportion of your budget. It as if you are allowed to nibble the edges of an unknown chocolate -- it gives you a taste without the need to put the whole thing in your mouth (and risk finding out it was not a chocolate after all, but dog dirt, or even worse, a coffee cream.) We would often rather buy a sample with a 1/20th of the amount of a reagent for a 1/15th of the price of the full product than have the full product for half price. Our reaction to different offers is exemplified by what is, and what is not sitting in our freezer. While scouting around for new methods for the signalling part of our work, we came across the Anti-active MAPK family sampler kit from Promega. For the reasons stated above we bought it. We also found another kit (from a different company) that did not come in a sample size pack. Although we were offered a generous introductory offer on the full size kit we judged that although it was good value (if it worked), the risk of it not being of use to us was too great for the cost, even if it was (due to the large size of the kit) good value. For example, CN Bioscience has been providing many antibodies in sample size aliquots. Knowing this I always spend a few minutes to flick through the catalogues they send me. They are always in my mind when the time comes to buy antibodies. I think it shows confidence in a product to offer freebie sample packs. In terms of researching new techniques, the Internet is of great use not only for finding out the smallest detail of a product from the manufacturer's website, but also for looking at other research teams websites. It is possible to look at methods and reagents already productive when used in a similar manner. Many of the websites I frequently look at have the details of methods used, something which is very useful, and something which I still have to do on our website, www.student.livjm.ac.uk/bmsbhosk/RNSapoptosis.htm (Sorry!). The Internet is at its best in this way, allowing communication between tiny minorities of people interested in highly specific areas, who are isolated by geography. On this subject we must not forget the role of the www.scienceboard.net and their forum page. Although I mentioned before that time is not as restricted for me as it may be for others, I feel I should sign off and get some real work done, I will leave you with the wise words of Groucho Marx, "Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like a banana." ### Bill Hosker is a graduate student at Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, England ### << Previous Next >> [ View All Perspectives ] |
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